Ambulances and the Big Bang – The Doppler Effect and Redshift (pass level)

The sound waves are The sound waves are

The ambulance is squashed up/pulled The ambulance is squashed up/pulled
The pitch of the The The pitch of the
travelling apart. travelling apart.
sound is Doppler sound is
towards us/away The wavelength towards us/away The wavelength
higher/lower Effect higher/lower
from us increases/ from us increases/
decreases decreases

1) The picture shows different wavelengths of visible light. Which colour has:

a) the longest wavelength? _____________ b) the shortest wavelength? _____________

c) the highest frequency? ______________ d) the most energy? ____________________

2) A green light is thrown towards you. Will the wavelength get longer or shorter? _________________________

3) What colour might the light look ads it gets closer to you? ___________________________________________

4) You throw the light back. What happens to the wavelength as it flies away? _____________________________

5) What colour might the light look as it flies away from you? ___________________________________________
Star number Line number
The diagram shows light collected from four stars.
Because stars are all made from the same chemicals they should
1 2 3 4 5 6 all have black lines in the same place. However, something has
happened to the black lines from stars 2, 3 and 4 to make them
1 move.

Select the right words to complete the explanation

The black lines are in the same/different places for each

2 star. The lines have moved towards the red/blue end of
the spectrum. The wavelength has got shorter/longer.
The star must be travelling towards/away from us.

3
The light from star 4 has changed the least/most. Star
4 is the furthest away star. It is moving faster/slower
than the other stars.
4
This is called redshift/nightshift.

Edwin Hubble said that if Big Bang Theory was correct, the stars should all be moving apart. He also said that the furthest stars should be moving M
away from us fastest. Describe how the changing light from stars supports his theory.