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Ernst Mach
Born: Feb 18, 1838
Died: Feb 19, 1916 -
Contribution to Physics: Studying shock waves
Initial research done in 1878 -
Ernst Mach observing shock waves, 1878
This is one of Ernst Mach’s earliest observations of shockwaves originating from supersonic objects. This particular pattern was recorded from a fired bullet, which broke mach one. This is the reason the measurement of breaking the speed of sound is named Mach – after the man who was one of the first to record the event, and the first to begin study and observations on it. -
Mach theorizing that matter could go faster than the speed of sound
Mach also theorized that the shape of an object would help it achieve supersonic shockwaves, or potentially surpass the speed of sound. The more pointed or tapered the object was at the entry of the shockwave, the faster and harder the shockwave would hit, which is illustrated in the image attachment. -
Ernst Mach and compression waves
In many modern pictures today, we see Machs work be utilized like, here for example we can see how they use Machs interpretation of high pressure gas/ shock waves from the speed of sound and also the resulting in how we determine both the sounds and gas waves that come after. -
Citations
Photo citations.
1.)https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ernst-mach-4770.php
2.)http://www.graphics.stanford.edu/~hanrahan/talks/selfillustrating/walk008.html
3.)http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0305.shtml
4.)https://pressbooks.online.ucf.edu/osuniversityphysics/chapter/17-8-shock-waves/ -
Citations
Book Citation
1.)NAIDOO, K., & SKEWS, B. W. (2011). Dynamic effects on the transition between two-dimensional regular and mach reflection of shock waves in an ideal, steady supersonic free stream. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 676, 432-460. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2011.58
2.)Hoffmann, C. (2016). Paris vs. prague: A "suspicion of fraud": Ernst mach argues over photographs and epistemological prerequisites. Science in Context, 29(4), 409-427. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0269889716000156