Doppler Effect Calculator

Your details

Sound uses the medium speed and separate source/observer motion. Light uses the relativistic formula with one closing speed.
The frequency emitted by the source (its true pitch or color).
Hz
The material the sound travels through fixes the wave speed.
Speed of sound in air rises about 0.6 m/s for every degree Celsius.
°C
How fast the listener moves through the medium.
How fast the sound source moves through the medium.
Observed frequencyPitch shifts higher (approaching)
482.14Hz
Frequency shift42.14Hz
Percent shift9.58%
Observed wavelength0.7119m
Wave speed used343.2m/s
Source Mach number0.087
9.58% %
Lower pitch (receding)<-0.5No shift-0.5-0.5Higher pitch (approaching)0.5+

You receive 482.14 Hz, a 9.58% shift higher than the source.

  • The Doppler effect comes from relative motion compressing or stretching the waves between source and observer.
  • Closing distance packs the wave crests together, so each second carries more cycles and the pitch rises.
  • The shift depends on speeds relative to the medium (343 m/s here), not on the distance to the source.

Next stepTry a passing siren: set the source toward you, note the high pitch, then switch it to "away" to hear the drop as it passes.

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