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Student Activity

Doppler Shift Activity

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Student Activity :
Don't Loose Your Marbles-Are You Coming or Going?

  1. Divide yourselves into teams or otherwise follow the instructions of your teacher. The steps in this activity are written as if you have divided up into teams of three members. Each team should have "source" person, a "timer/recorder," and a "receiver."
  2. Your teacher will provide a track which you will roll marbles down. Designate the top end of the track as the "source."
  3. Obtain approximately 20 marbles and a stopwatch from teacher.
  4. The "source" person should now place the marbles on the track at even, roughly one second intervals. Try to be consistent as possible. The stationary "receiver" collects the marbles as they arrive at the end of the track, announcing the arrival of the first and last marbles. The "timer/recorder" measures and records the time of arrival of the first and last marbles at the end of the track. Record the time on the Reporting/Data Sheet and calculate the frequency of the rolling marbles.
  5. Now gather up the marbles and repeat the process. However, this time, as soon as the first marble arrives at the end of the track, the "receiver" should slowly (take baby steps) begin to walk toward the source, collecting from the track all the marbles that pass by him/her for a ten second period. The "timer/recorder" should call out the time. Count the marbles and record the results on the Reporting/Data Sheet. Now calculate the frequency for the marbles, as collected by the moving "receiver."
  6. Gather up the marbles again and repeat the process. This time, however, the "receiver" should position himself/herself near the source. As soon as one marble has passed by, the "receiver" should slowly (baby steps again) down the track collecting from the track all the marbles that pass by him/her for a ten second period. Again, the "timer/recorder" should call out the time. Count the marbles and record the results on the Reporting/Data Sheet. Now calculate a frequency for the marbles, as collected by the moving "receiver."
  7. Hand the team's Reporting/Data Sheet to your teacher.
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