A car is moving towards a high cliff. The car driver sounds a horn of frequency 'f'. The reflected sound heard by the driver has a frequency 2f. If 'v' be the velocity of sound then the velocity of the car, in the same velocity units, will be -
A
$\dfrac{v}{3}$
B
$\dfrac{v}{4}$
C
$\dfrac{v}{2}$
D
$\dfrac{v}{\sqrt{2}}$
The answer is A.
Solution
The problem is done in two stages. First the cliff acts as a stationary observer receiving sound from the moving source (the car). Frequency received by the cliff: $f' = \left(\dfrac{v}{v - v_{car}}\right) f$ Next, the cliff acts as a stationary source of frequency $f'$, and the driver is an observer moving towards it. Frequency heard by the driver: $f'' = \left(\dfrac{v + v_{car}}{v}\right) f' = \left(\dfrac{v + v_{car}}{v - v_{car}}\right) f$ Given $f'' = 2f$: $\dfrac{v + v_{car}}{v - v_{car}} = 2$ $\Rightarrow v + v_{car} = 2v - 2v_{car}$ $\Rightarrow 3v_{car} = v$ $\Rightarrow v_{car} = \dfrac{v}{3}$
ConceptDoppler effect with reflection from a stationary cliff
Doppler effect in past papers
7 questions from this chapter have appeared across 7 exam years.