How to use the calculator
- Enter the speed of the object in meters per second (m/s)
- Enter the speed of sound in the medium (m/s) - for Earth's atmosphere at sea level, this is approximately 343 m/s
- Click the "Calculate" button to compute the Mach number
- The result will be displayed along with the classification of the flow regime
Understanding Mach Number
The Mach number is a dimensionless quantity representing the ratio of an object's speed to the speed of sound in the medium. It's named after Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach.
Flow Regime Classification
- Subsonic flow: When the Mach number is less than 1.0, the flow is considered subsonic. Sound waves can propagate ahead of the object.
- Transonic flow: When the Mach number is approximately between 1.0 and 5.0, the flow is considered transonic. This is a regime where some parts of the flow are subsonic while others are supersonic.
- Supersonic flow: When the Mach number is approximately between 5.0 and 10.0, the flow is considered supersonic. All parts of the flow are supersonic, and shock waves are formed.
- Hypersonic flow: When the Mach number is above 10.0, the flow is considered hypersonic. This regime is characterized by extremely high speeds and complex aerodynamic phenomena.
Practical Applications
Mach number is crucial in various fields including:
- Aerospace engineering for designing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft
- Weather forecasting, particularly for modeling supersonic jet aircraft effects
- Underwater acoustics for calculating sound propagation in water