IB Physics SL C.5.2 Doppler wavefront diagrams
IB Physics SL C.5.2 Doppler wavefront diagrams
Practise reading and sketching Doppler wavefront diagrams, showing how source motion changes wavefront spacing in front and behind.
How this is tested
- sketch successive circular wavefronts from moving source positions, with centres shifted in the direction of motion
- choose the correct wavefront diagram by comparing compressed fronts ahead of the source and wider spacing behind
- explain the drop in heard frequency after passing by linking the observer to fewer wavefronts arriving each second