Utrecht Science Murals
Scientists working at Utrecht Unversity have made important contributions to chemistry and physics. Noticeable examples include Nobelprize winners Jacobus van ‘t Hoff, Peter Debye, and Gerard ‘t Hooft. Another example is the the foundation of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in 1854 by Christophorus Buys Ballot.
Inspired by the Wall Formulas project in Leiden, Sander Kempkes and Ingmar Swart of the Science faculty at Utrecht University aim to showcase the achievements and contributions made by Utrecht scientists to society.
The paintings are realized by ‘De strakke Hand‘, a group of local artists.
Doppler Effect
Christophorus Buys Ballot (1817 – 1890)
Explanation: If the source of a (sound) wave moves relative to an observer, the frequency of the wave perceived by the observer changes. A well-known example is the pitch of a car horn as it approaches you or moves away from you.
Example of Doppler effectUtrecht link: Buys Ballot was the first to experimentally verify the existence of the Doppler effect. He did so by placing a hornblower on a train riding over the newly opened track between Utrecht and Maarssen.
More information: People who would like to know more can read about the Doppler effect on Wikipedia.
Location of paintingThe mural paintings are made possible by financial support from the Faculty of Science, the Department of Physics, the Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the Delta Institute for Theoretical Physics