Mach Number Calculator

Mach Number Calculator

Mach Number Calculator is a tool that is used to find the Mach number of an object /flow.

What is Mach Number?

The Mach number (Ma) is the ratio of the velocity of an object or fluid flow (V) to the speed of sound in the medium (a)

It is introduced by philosopher and physicist Ernst Mach. It has no dimension and is used in fluid dynamics to explain the speed of an object or fluid flow associated with the speed of sound in the same medium.

Mach number (Ma) = V / a

Here,

• “V” shows the velocity of fluid flow
• “a” show the speed of sound.

The speed of sound varies depending on the medium through which the object or fluid is traveling. In dry air at sea level and room temperature, the speed of sound is approximately 343 meters per second (about 767 miles per hour).

The Mach number is crucial in various fields, including aerospace engineering, aviation, high-speed aerodynamics, and the study of compressible fluids. It helps determine the behavior of fluids and the aerodynamic characteristics of objects moving at different speeds relative to the speed of sound.

Types of flow

Here are the types of flow discussed below:

• Subsonic flow - the object or fluid flow is moving at a speed slower than the speed of sound.
• Sonic flow - the object or fluid flow is moving at the speed of sound.
• Supersonic flow - the object or fluid flow is moving at a speed faster than the speed of sound.
• Hypersonic flow - the object or fluid flow is moving at a very high speed, significantly faster than the speed of sound.

How to find the mach number?

Example 1:

Determine the Mach number if a = 2, and V = 260

Solution:

a = 2, V = 260, M =?

Formula:

M = V/a

Steps:

Now put the values in the above formula:

M = 260/2

M = 130

Hence, the Mach number for this Problem is 130.

Example 2:

Determine the Mach number if a = 3, and V = 330

Solution:

a = 3, V = 330, M =?

Formula:

M = V/a

Steps:

Now put the values in the above formula:

M = 330/3

M = 110

Hence, the Mach number for this Problem is 110.

Example 3:

Determine the Mach number if a = 5, and V = 625

Solution:

a = 5, V = 625, M =?

Formula:

M = V/a

Steps:

Now put the values in the above formula:

M = 625/5

M = 125

Hence, the Mach number for this Problem is 125.