[roc-chat] Re: Mach Speeds
- From: Gregory Lyzenga <lyzenga@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: roc-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:57:24 -0800
On Dec 26, 2012, at 8:11 PM, chris_coffee@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Hmm, cool! Is it because of the minimal body mass because of the rockets
> being so small in diameter, comparatively? Not sure why it doesn't sound off.
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone
I can think of at least a couple of reasons why you wouldn't expect to hear a
"sonic boom" or "pop". For one thing, the geometry is wrong. A supersonic
plane flying horizontally drags a cone-shaped shock wave behind it, and you
hear the boom when the cone sweeps over you. A vertically flying rocket has
its Mach cone going upward and never touching the ground, so none of the
spectators are in a position to hear a boom.
Besides that, even if you were to hover in a balloon off to one side of the
ascending rocket, I still wonder if you would hear anything, since the rocket
motor might be making so much noise as to drown out the "pop". But I'm not
sure about that. Richard Dierking has got and experiment in mind to try and
test this, I believe.
- Greg
-------------------------------------
Gregory A. Lyzenga <lyzenga@xxxxxxx> *** (909) 621-8378
Dept. of Physics, Harvey Mudd College *** cell(626) 808-5314
Claremont, CA 91711-5990 *** fax (909) 621-8887
<http://tinyurl.com/LyzengaPhysics>
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