In: Physics
In my physics class, we are going over the Doppler Effect. We were given four different equations for two different scenarios:
- When the observer is stationary but the source is moving
- When the observer is moving but the source is stationary
I was given a problem where both the observer AND the source are moving at some velocity. The source is emitting a given frequency while traveling at a given velocity. The observer is OBSERVING that frequency at a given frequency provided in the problem, but their velocity is unknown. Seeing as the source is traveling at a CONSTANT velocity, can I treat it as though the source, relative to the observer, is stationary, and it is only the observer that is moving? I was thinking of using the receding observer equation of: f- = (1 - v0/v)*fs , where v0 is the speed of the observer and v is the velocity of sound in air, 343 m/s. Would this be correct? Or can I not treat the source as stationary even though it is moving at a constant velocity?
Thank you in advance! Please comment if you need clarification.