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A student knows that an ambulance siren has a frequency of fs = 393 Hz. He measures when the ambulance is approaching him, the frequency fo = 415. Assume the speed of sound is 343 m/s in this problem.

Input an expression for the ambulance's speed, vs, in terms of the frequencies and the speed of sound v.

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Final answer:

To determine the ambulance's speed using the Doppler Effect, we can use the formula vs = v * (1 - (fs / fo)), plugging in the observed frequency (415 Hz), the ambulance siren frequency (393 Hz), and the speed of sound (343 m/s) to solve for the speed of the ambulance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves the application of the Doppler Effect, which describes the change in frequency of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the source of the wave. The formula for the Doppler Effect when the source is moving towards the observer is given by:

fo = fs * (v / (v - vs))

Where fo is the observed frequency, fs is the source frequency, v is the speed of sound, and vs is the speed of the source. In this problem, the observed frequency (fo = 415 Hz), the ambulance siren frequency (fs = 393 Hz), and the speed of sound (v = 343 m/s) are given. To find the ambulance's speed (vs), we can rearrange the formula:

vs = v * (1 - (fs / fo))

Plugging the given values into this rearranged equation, we can calculate the ambulance's speed:

vs = 343 m/s * (1 - (393 Hz / 415 Hz))

Once the calculations are complete, the result will provide the speed of the ambulance in meters per second. If needed, a conversion can be done to express the speed in different units such as kilometers per hour or miles per hour.

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