The Doppler Effect in Everyday Sounds and Motion

What It Is – The Doppler Effect is the change in sound or light frequency caused by motion.
Approaching Sounds – When a source moves toward you, sound waves bunch up, making the pitch higher.
Moving Away – As it passes and moves away, waves stretch out, and the pitch drops lower.
Siren Example – An ambulance siren rises in pitch as it approaches and falls as it leaves.
Everyday Experience – Trains, motorcycles, and even passing cars all create Doppler shifts you can hear.
Not Just Sound – The Doppler Effect also happens with light, changing colors of moving stars and galaxies.
Astronomy Tool – Redshift shows galaxies moving away, helping prove the universe is expanding.
Sports Use – Radar guns use Doppler shifts to measure the speed of baseballs and cars.
Weather Watch – Doppler radar tracks storm movement by measuring shifts in returning radio waves.
Universal Principle – From city streets to cosmic space, the Doppler Effect reveals motion through waves.