Supersonic Shock Waves with Schlieren Imaging

Schlieren imaging is used to show shock waves and compression waves in supersonic flow. It helps make air motion visible when the flow becomes compressible. In this demonstration, a Mach 2.0 flow over a cone is examined with a Schlieren system.

Military jet fighters and projectiles can travel fas...

Military jets fly at incredible speeds that exceed the speed of sound, called supersonic speeds. When describing supersonic speeds, we use Mach number to gauge that speed relative to the speed of sound. At a Mach number greater than 0.8, but less than 1.2, the speed is transonic. Above Mach 1.2, the speed is supersonic.

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