Mach Number

Introduction to Mach Number

The Mach number is a dimensionless quantity representing the ratio of the speed of an object to the speed of sound in a surrounding medium. It is named after Ernst Mach, a physicist and philosopher. The formula to calculate the Mach number involves dividing the speed of the object by the speed of sound. A Mach number less than 1 indicates subsonic speed, while a Mach number greater than 1 indicates supersonic speed. A Mach number equal to 1 denotes sonic speed, which is the speed of sound. This calculation is commonly used in aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, and aerospace engineering to characterize the speed of an object relative to the speed of sound in a particular medium.

Parameter usage:

• speedOfSound = speed of sound in the medium
• speedOfObject = speed of the object

Output:

• Mach Number = dimensionless quantity representing the speed of the object relative to the speed of sound

Data validation

The speed of sound and speed of the object should be greater than or equal to 0.

Summary

This calculator is used to determine the Mach number of an object traveling through a particular medium in relation to the speed of sound in that medium.