Doppler Shift in Physics: Exploring the Color Change Phenomenon
What determines the relative speed needed to observe a color change in an object?
What is the formula used to calculate the relative speed required to observe a color change in an object?
Answer:
The relative speed needed to observe a color change in an object is determined by applying the principle of Doppler shift in physics.
The Doppler shift in physics refers to the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave as a source or observer moves in relation to the wave source. The relative speed required to observe a color change in an object can be calculated using the Doppler shift formula.
The formula used to calculate the relative speed needed to observe a color change in an object is:
v = c[(λ₀/λ)² - 1) / (λ₀/λ)² + 1]Where:
- v = relative speed
- c = speed of light (3 x 10^8 m/s)
- λ₀ = original wavelength
- λ = observed wavelength
By substituting the values of the red (660 nm) and blue (470 nm) colors of the sticker into the formula, we can calculate that the relative speed needed to observe a color change is 97,800 km/s.
This phenomenon is crucial in understanding how the perception of color changes as the relative speed between an observer and the source of light changes. The Doppler shift plays a significant role in various fields such as astronomy, physics, and even everyday scenarios like the color change of a moving car sticker.