Interactive STEM simulation
Doppler Lab — Sound & Light Shift Interactive Simulator
Explore the Doppler effect for sound and light in this free online lab. Move sources and observers, play audio of the shifted pitch, and observe shock waves and galactic redshift.
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Doppler Lab — Sound & Light Shift Interactive Simulator
This Doppler lab lets you simulate wave-source motion for both sound and light with eight real-world scenario presets from an ambulance siren to a receding galaxy. The animated canvas shows expanding circular wavefronts being compressed or stretched as the source moves, and a frequency-over-time graph compares source versus observed frequency. In sound mode, enable real-time audio playback to hear the observed pitch. Adjust air temperature, source frequency, and independent source/observer velocities.
What you can do in this simulation
- Choose from 8 presets including ambulance, train, star, and receding galaxy
- Toggle between Sound and Light wave modes
- Control source and observer velocity independently
- Enable real-time audio playback of the Doppler-shifted pitch
- View frequency-over-time graph comparing source and observed frequencies
Concepts covered
Doppler effect · wave frequency · sound speed · spectral redshift · shock wave · observer effect
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