What Is the Doppler Effect?

By jamie

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3. Waves on a Pond

As mentioned, the Doppler effect is caused because light and sound move in waves in just the same way that the waves of a pond move. Look at a duck on a pond and you will see small waves radiating out from the duck as its movement causes ripples on the surface. If you were able to film the waves that a duck causes as it swims forward, you will be able to see how the Doppler effect works.

As the duck moves forward, it pushes the waves in front of it forward also, causing the waves in the front to get closer to each other. You will also see that the waves behind the duck will be stretching out away from each other.

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