8.0k views
4 votes
A commuter train blows its 200-Hz horn as it approaches a crossing. The speed of sound is 335 m/s.

(a) An observer waiting at the crossing receives a frequency of 208 Hz. What is the speed of the train?
(b) What frequency does the observer receive as the train moves away?

a) 191 m/s, 209 Hz
b) 218 m/s, 192 Hz
c) 225 m/s, 207 Hz
d) 237 m/s, 205 Hz

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

Using the Doppler Effect formula, we calculate the speed of a train approaching a crossing with a 200-Hz horn that is observed to be 208 Hz as approximately 19.23 m/s. Consequently, as the train moves away, the observer would perceive a frequency of approximately 193 Hz. None of the provided answer choices align with these calculations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Determining the Speed of the Train

When a commuter train blows its 200-Hz horn as it approaches a crossing, and an observer receives a frequency of 208 Hz, we can determine the speed of the train using the Doppler Effect formula for a source moving towards an observer:

f' = f (v / (v - vs))

Where:

f' is the observed frequency (208 Hz)

f is the source frequency (200 Hz)

v is the speed of sound (335 m/s)

vs is the speed of the source (the train)

Rearranging the formula to solve for the speed of the source (vs), we get:

vs = v(f/f' - 1)

Plugging in the values, we find:

vs = 335 m/s (200 Hz / 208 Hz - 1)

After calculating, vs ≈ 19.23 m/s. None of the given options match this calculation.

Calculating the Observed Frequency as the Train Recedes

Using the Doppler Effect formula for a source moving away from an observer, the observed frequency can be calculated:

f'' = f (v / (v + vs))

Substituting vs with the speed found earlier (19.23 m/s) and the given variables, we get:

f'' = 200 Hz (335 m/s / (335 m/s + 19.23 m/s)) ≈ 192.5 Hz

Again, rounding this to the nearest whole number gives us approximately 193 Hz, which does not match any of the options provided.

User Olaf Dietsche
by
8.5k points