Speed of sound and Mach number

An important parameter in the study of compressible flow is the speed of sound (or the sonic speed), defined as the speed at which an infinitesimally small pressure wave travels through a medium.

Speed of sound is given by the formula :

Where:

  • c –  Speed of sound in m/s
  • k – specific heat ratio(1.4)
  • R – Gas constant ( 0.287)
  • T – Temperature in kelvin.

A second important parameter in the analysis of compressible fluid flow is the Mach number , the ratio of the actual speed of the fluid (or an object in still fluid) to the speed of sound in the same fluid at the same state:

Where:

  • V – velocity of air
  • c – speed of sound

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