Mach number Mach number In fluid dynamics, the Mach number (M or Ma) (; ) is a dimensionless quantity representing the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound. where: By definition, at Mach1, the local flow velocity is equal to the speed of sound. At Mach0.65, is 65% of the speed of sound (subsonic), and, at Mach1.35, is 35% faster than the speed of sound (supersonic). The local speed of sound, and thereby the Mach number, depends on the condition of the surrounding medium, in particular the temperature. The Mach number is primarily used to determine
Critical Mach number not designed to fly at or above the critical Mach number, the shock waves that form in the airflow over the wing and tailplane are sufficient to stall the wing, render the control surfaces ineffective, or lead to loss of control of the aircraft (such as Mach tuck, when shock waves in the airflow over the elevator send the aircraft into an uncontrollable dive). These problematic phenomena appearing at or above the critical Mach number became known as compressibility. Compressibility led to a number of accidents involving high-speed military and experimental aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. Although unknown at