What is Supersonic: Definition and 77 Discussions

Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately 343.2 m/s (1,126 ft/s; 768 mph; 667.1 kn; 1,236 km/h). Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5) are often referred to as hypersonic. Flights during which only some parts of the air surrounding an object, such as the ends of rotor blades, reach supersonic speeds are called transonic. This occurs typically somewhere between Mach 0.8 and Mach 1.2.
Sounds are traveling vibrations in the form of pressure waves in an elastic medium. In gases, sound travels longitudinally at different speeds, mostly depending on the molecular mass and temperature of the gas, and pressure has little effect. Since air temperature and composition varies significantly with altitude, Mach numbers for aircraft may change despite a constant travel speed. In water at room temperature supersonic speed can be considered as any speed greater than 1,440 m/s (4,724 ft/s). In solids, sound waves can be polarized longitudinally or transversely and have even higher velocities.
Supersonic fracture is crack motion faster than the speed of sound in a brittle material.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. O

    Supersonic plane flying horizontally

    Homework Statement Dr.Botha sees a supersonic plane flying horizontally in a straight line, directly overhead. If the plane is flying at a height of 500m above the ground, and Dr.Botha hears a sonic boom 1.00s after the plane flies over him, where is the plane at the instant he hears the boom...
  2. A

    Preventing Shockwaves from Supersonic Flight

    Oki well ill start with a little background so you know just about me :) I am studying aero engineering in Sydney Uni and second year student so i haven't really hit all the Flight Mechanics and aerodynamics yet that comes next year but i was talking in a laboratory with a 4th year student (we...
  3. kandelabr

    Can water be propelled at supersonic speeds from a small hole?

    Homework Statement suppose we have a water reservoir with some pressure in it and a small hole through which the water exits. on the other side, there is just atmosphere. by increasing pressure on the "water side", the velocity of exiting water increases. what happens when pressure is large...
  4. L

    Supersonic Jets Breaking Up Hurricanes: Possibilities

    http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-03/hurricane-busters
  5. Artlav

    Can a Supersonic Car Navigate Safely on Public Highways?

    A car-sized device is running along a light-traffic highway at slightly above the speed of sound. It is unmanned and equipped with powerful RCS and flaps to make the tight turns around other cars and road curves, thus following the road. The jet engine is tilted slightly upwards and points...
  6. V

    Guide to Supersonic Drag Increase in Nose Cones

    Hi Can anyone explain in detail about drag increase in supersonic speed Why and how drag increases in Blunt shape nose cone to compare with Sharp nose cone at supersonic speed? Ryan
  7. R

    Supersonic Jet: Mach 3 at Altitude 20,000m - Shock Wave & Boom Times

    Homework Statement A supersonic jet traveling at Mach 3.00 at an altitude of 20,000 meters is directly over a person at a time t=0 as show in figure (see below). (a) At what time will the person encounter the the shock wave? (b) Where will the plane be when the "boom" is finally heard? (Assume...
  8. G

    Supersonic Standing Still: The Physics Behind Wind Tunnel Experiments

    Consider a situation where you are standing still (with your feet chained to the floor) experiencing a horizontal windspeed of >340 m/s. Despite the fact that you are stationary relative to the earth, are you in fact supersonic since you are moving faster than the speed of sound relative to the...
  9. F

    Buckingham's Pi theorem on Supersonic wave drag

    Hi all, I am working on aerodyanmics homework, and I've been stuck on this problem for a while. "The shockwaves on a vehicle in supersonic flight cause a component of drag called supersonic wave drag Dw. Defined the wave-drag coefficient as Cdw = Dw/(qS), where S is a suitable reference...
  10. S

    Can a Waterfall Ever Become Supersonic?

    Homework Statement According to geologists, the water in a waterfall was supersonic, that is, it fell with speeds in excess of the speed of sound. Ignoring air resistance, what is the minimum height necessary to create a supersonic waterfall? (The speed of sound may be taken to be 340...
  11. M

    Calculating Supersonic Drag Force on Netting

    Hey, I am trying to calculate the drag force on netting at supersonic speeds. currently I have been using the equation: F = 1/2 (ρ V² Cd A) I am having trouble applying it to netting due to the drag coefficiant, since i cannot find one for netting. Also all the examples I have seen for...
  12. B

    Acoustic doppler effect at subsonic, sonic and supersonic speeds

    Defining the period measured by a moving observer relative to a stationary source as T=t(n)-t(n-1) where t(n) and t(n-1) represent the times when two successive wavecrests are received respectively, the theory of the Doppler Effect leads zero and negative periods in the case of sonic and...
  13. B

    How Large is the Turning Radius at Supersonic Speeds for Aircraft?

    When we take the turn in a car at a high speed, the turning radius is pretty big. Similarly, at supersonic speeds, the turning radius of aircrafts would be huge. Could anyone tell me the turning radius of aircrafts as such speeds and the minimum turning radius of any aircraft...
  14. H_man

    Subsonic-Supersonic Supersonic-?

    Subsonic-Supersonic... Supersonic--? Hi all, I was just wondering.. in the case of the Laval nozzle you go from subsonic to supersonic. But once your flow is already supersonic is there any sense in having a physical nozzle (as surely there is still some divergence to the exhaust) or would...
  15. daniel_i_l

    Pushing Supersonic: Beyond Sound Speed

    When you push one end of a pole the other end reacts (starts moving to) after the amount of time that it would take sound to travel to that side. So what happens when one end is pushed faster than the speed of sound? Thanks.
  16. M

    Can Humans Hear Supersonic Airplanes?

    If an air plane flies much faster than a speed of sound can humans still hear it.
  17. Astronuc

    Is Japan Collaborating with NASA and Boeing to Develop a Supersonic Airliner?

    http://www.asminternational.org/Content/NavigationMenu/News/HeadlineNews/HeadlineNewsArticle.htm?SMContentIndex=6&SMContentSet=0 Associated Press May 8, 2006
  18. G

    Wave properiies of supersonic jets

    Teachers Question: Why are the air bases of super sonic jets usually located far away from cities? Your response should discuss wave properties. I don't know what to answer. I have searched everywhere for it. Please help me!
  19. S

    Small supersonic diffuser design

    I want to design a very small supersonic diffuser to be used in a pneumatic valve. Can anyone provide some help? thanks.
  20. D

    Doppler effect at supersonic speeds

    How can we apply the doppler effect when the source of sound is coming towards us at supersonic speeds?Is there a mathematical method for it?
  21. Astronuc

    SR-71 Blackbird - Supersonic Aircraft

    For those interested in a remarkable aircraft - Lockheed's A-12, YF-12A, SR-71 Blackbird. http://www.sr-71.org http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/index.htm at sr-71.org http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/sr-71~1.htm http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/sr-71.htm...
  22. S

    Solving the Supersonic Speed Problem in Physics

    I really have no idea what category this type of question goes in. I'm actually a senior in high school but I think this may be a college level question because I'm in the highest level physics class my school offers and the teacher doesn't know how to do it. I saw it on a UIL test for science...
  23. M

    Can Supersonic Wind Create Sonic Booms?

    I have a question I am pondering about. If there was a wind and the windspeed is faster than the speed of sound, would there be any kind of sonic boom effect created?
  24. P

    Sonic Boom & Condensation Trails: Explained

    Could someone try to explain to me the reason for the sonic boom that occurs during sonic flight and also the condensed water(?) coner(?) that appears behind the plane. I've tried looking it up but I couldn't find any good explanations...
  25. Clausius2

    Can Supersonic Waves Exist in Solids?

    Is it possible?. I just know it is possible in liquids and gases, but what would be the (structural) effect of a supersonic wave in a solid?. And how can we generate it?
  26. Clausius2

    Solving Supersonic Combustion Challenges with Detonations

    Ok. Let's suppose the next imaginary experiment. I encouragely promise that I don't know anything about nowadays supersonic combustion problems. I want to continue with the discussion spread in the "rocket thrust" thread, and what Enigma and Russ Waters said. There is a supersonic flow at the...
  27. F

    End of Commercial SuperSonic Flight

    Wow, last flight of the Concord was today. Sad sight seeing it. I am not sure but I hope there is some replacement in the works but I am not sure. Did they decommision them because of their age or lack of market?
Back
Top