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Mach number facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
FA-18 Hornet breaking sound barrier (7 July 1999)
An F/A-18 Hornet creating a vapor cone at transonic speed just before reaching the speed of sound

A mach number is a number that describes speed. It is a measure of the speed of an object compared to the speed of sound. Mach number is given as a percentage compared to the local speed of sound. For example, half the speed of sound = Mach 0.5.

M=v/a

Where v is the speed of the object, and a is the speed of sound.

It is named after the Austrian physicist Ernst Mach. When writing a speed as a Mach number, the number comes after "Mach."

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Número Mach para niños

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Mach number Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.