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Doppler Effect

Other Uses Of The Doppler Effect

In addition to its uses in science, the Doppler effect has many practical applications. In maritime navigation, radio waves are bounced off orbiting satellites to measure shifts which indicate changes in location. In highway traffic speeding detection, radar employs the Doppler effect to determine automobile speeds. There are also a number of medical applications of the Doppler effect found in ultrasonography, echocardiography, and radiology, all of which employ ultrasonic waves.

See also Wave motion.


Resources

Periodicals

Bruning, David. "Seeing a Star's Surface." Astronomy (October 1993): 34.

Powell, C. "The Redshift Blues." Scientific American (January 1990).

Stroh, Michael. "Gust Work: Meteorologists Decipher the Winds with Radar." Science News (July 11, 1992): 28-29.


Jordan P. Richman

KEY TERMS

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Hubble's law

—The law that states a galaxy's redshift is directly proportional to its distance from Earth.

Index of refraction

—The ratio of the speed of light as it travels through any two media.

Redshift

—The lengthening of the frequency of light waves as they travel away from an observer caused by the Doppler effect.

Spectroscope

—An instrument for forming and examining light as it is refracted through an optical spectrum.

Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Direct Variation to DysplasiaDoppler Effect - Doppler Effect In Sound Waves, Doppler Effects In Light Waves, Other Uses Of The Doppler Effect