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How does a supersonic aircraft create a shock wave?

An aircraft moving faster than sound produces a pattern of pressure disturbances very different from a quiet sound wave. Across a shock front, air pressure, density, and temperature change sharply. Explore how the airflow around an aircraft creates that abrupt boundary.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which assumptions about the air change when a shock front forms?
  • How does a shock wave's abrupt pressure change differ from the smooth change in a weak sound wave?

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