Grade 10 IB physics

Name:

Doppler Effect Worksheet

1. A child is sitting by the side of the road and hears the sound of an approaching
ice-cream truck. If the truck emits a tune with a frequency of 450.0 Hz but the
child hears a frequency of 460.0 Hz, how fast is the truck travelling?
(Speed of sound 343 m/s)
! =

=
!

= !
!
! =

! = 1

! = 343 / 1

450
460

= 7.457 m/s
2. A airplane jet engine emits a frequency of 2.50 x 102 Hz when in use. If the plane
is travelling at 7.20 x 102 km/h north, what frequency would be observed by a
person:
a) to the north of the plane.
b) to the south of the plane.
a)
North implies the plane is traveling toward the
observer. We will use this version of the Doppler
equation:
! = !
! = 250 !

!
!

343/
!
343/ 200/

b)
South implies the plane is traveling away from the
observer. We will use this version of the Doppler
equation:
! = !
! = 250 !

!
+ !

343/
!
343/ + 200/

3. An air-raid siren emits a constant frequency of 680 Hz. A plane flying past the
siren observes a frequency of 350 Hz. Determine the speed of the plane and
whether the plane is flying towards or away from the siren.
Because the frequency observed is lower than the emitted frequency, there are fewer
waves passing the plane per second. This tells us that the plane is travelling away from
the siren.

! =

! !
=

= !

! =
! = 1

! = 343 /

!!
!
!!
!

350
680

= /
4. The observed frequency of a school bell from a car travelling 23 m/s towards the
school is 470 Hz. Determine the frequency emitted by the bell.

! =

+ !

!
=
+ !
=

(470)(343 /)
= 440
343 / + 23 /

5. From the perspective of a race car driver, a horn blown by a fan in the stands has
a frequency of 813 Hz. If, in actuality the horn emits a frequency of 693 Hz, what
is the speed of the car and is it travelling toward or away from the fan?
Because the frequency observed is higher than the emitted frequency, there are
more waves passing the car per second. This tells us that the car is travelling
toward the horn.
! =

+ !

! + !
=

= + !

! =
! =

! = 343 /

!!
!
!!
!

v
1
813
1
693

= . /
6. A car is driving toward an ambulance travelling in the opposite direction. The car
is travelling with a speed of 50 km/h and the ambulance is traveling with a speed
of 65 km/h. The ambulances siren emits a frequency of 520 Hz. What is the
observed frequency of the siren:
a) Before they pass each other on the road.
b) After they pass each other on the road.