Question

Is the relativistic Doppler effect consistent with the classical Doppler effect in the respect that λobs is larger for motion away?

a) Yes, the relativistic and classical effects are consistent.

b) No, the relativistic and classical effects differ in this aspect.

c) Both effects exhibit the same behavior for λobs.

d) There is no difference between the two effects.

Answer 1

Both the relativistic and classical Doppler effects show that the observed wavelength is larger when the source of light moves away from the observer, indicating a red shift. Therefore, the two effects are consistent in this respect.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to whether the relativistic Doppler effect is consistent with the classical Doppler effect in terms of observed wavelength (λobs) changes when the source of electromagnetic radiation is moving away from the observer.

In both cases, the observed wavelength is indeed larger when the source moves away, which means that both the relativistic and classical Doppler effects exhibit a red shift in this scenario.

Red shift is a term used to describe the lengthening of the observed wavelength, and blue shift refers to the shortening of the observed wavelength. This effect is encapsulated in the relativistic Doppler equation λobs = λs (1 + v/c) for light, assuming the source is moving directly away from the observer at a speed v, and c is the speed of light. Hence, the correct response would be (a) Yes, the relativistic and classical effects are consistent.