Two cars moving in opposite directions approach each other with speeds of $22\text{ ms}^{-1}$ and $16…

Two cars moving in opposite directions approach each other with speeds of $22\text{ ms}^{-1}$ and $16.5\text{ ms}^{-1}$, respectively. The driver of the first car blows a horn having a frequency $400\text{ Hz}$. The frequency heard by the driver of the second car is (Take, velocity of sound $= 340\text{ ms}^{-1}$) [NEET 2017]
  1. 350 Hz
  2. 361 Hz
  3. 411 Hz
  4. 448 Hz

Solution

When both source and observer are moving towards each other, apparent frequency is given by $f_a = f_o \left(\frac{v + v_o}{v - v_s}\right)$ where, $f_o =$ original frequency of source $= 400\text{ Hz}$, $v_s =$ speed of source $= 22\text{ ms}^{-1}$, $v_o =$ speed of observer $= 16.5\text{ ms}^{-1}$ and $v =$ speed of sound $= 340\text{ ms}^{-1}$. [A source car moves right at $v_s = 22\text{ ms}^{-1}$ towards an observer car moving left at $v_o = 16.5\text{ ms}^{-1}$.] Frequency heard by the driver in the second car, $f_a = f_o \left(\frac{v + v_o}{v - v_s}\right) = 400 \left(\frac{340 + 16.5}{340 - 22}\right)$ $= 448.4\text{ Hz} \approx 448\text{ Hz}$

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