Most physics teachers are familiar with the standard classroom demonstration of the Doppler effect. We invite students to explain the periodic variation of the pitch produced when we swirl a sounding buzzer over our heads. Students are quick to connect this phenomenon to everyday life experiences such as listening to the sound of the siren of a fast-approaching police car or the bell of an approaching train. In addition to these aural experiences, our understanding of the Doppler effect can be strengthened with a useful visual metaphor.
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