Mach cone

E90367

A Mach cone is the conical shock wave pattern produced by an object traveling through a medium at a speed faster than the speed of sound.

Aliases (1)

Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf aerodynamic phenomenon
physical phenomenon
shock wave pattern
dependsOn properties of the medium such as temperature and density
ratio of object speed to sound speed
hasAlternativeName Mach wave cone
sonic cone
hasBoundary shock wave
hasCondition Mach number greater than 1
object speed exceeds local speed of sound
hasEffect compression of the medium along the cone surface
formation of a sonic boom at ground level
sudden pressure change across the shock wave
hasGeometricProperty half-angle equals arcsin(1/M)
hasParameter Mach angle
Mach number of the source
speed of sound in the medium
speed of the moving object
hasRegion exterior where medium is undisturbed until shock passes
interior where disturbances cannot propagate ahead of the object
hasShape cone
isDefinedAs the conical shock wave pattern produced by an object traveling faster than the speed of sound in a medium
isDescribedIn aerodynamics textbooks
compressible fluid dynamics
isNamedAfter Ernst Mach
isObservedFrom a stationary frame relative to the medium
isProducedBy explosive blasts
reentry vehicles
supersonic aircraft
supersonic bullets
supersonic projectiles
isRelatedTo Mach number
acoustics
aerodynamics
ballistics
compressible flow
explosions
projectiles
shock wave
sonic boom
supersonic aircraft
supersonic flow
isUsedToExplain directionality of sonic booms
shock patterns around supersonic bodies
occursInMedium air
any compressible fluid
water
occursWhen an object moves at supersonic speed

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Mach cone ("Mach wave cone")
hasAlternativeName
Ernst Mach
hasEponym

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