Mach number which was also unit-first, and may have influenced the use of the term Mach. In the decade preceding faster-than-sound human flight, aeronautical engineers referred to the speed of sound as "Mach's number", never "Mach 1". Mach number is useful because the fluid behaves in a similar manner at a given Mach number, regardless of other variables. As modeled in the International Standard Atmosphere, dry air at mean sea level, standard temperature of , the speed of sound is . The speed of sound is not a constant; in a gas, it increases as the absolute temperature increases, and since atmospheric
Mach tuck provide a larger stabilizing pitch-up moment. The camber and thickness of the aerofoil affect the critical Mach number, with a more highly curved upper surface causing a lower critical Mach number. On a swept wing the shock wave typically forms first at the wing root, especially if it is more cambered than the wing tip. As speed increases, the shock wave and associated lift extend outwards and, because the wing is swept, backwards. The changing airflow over the wing can reduce the downwash over a conventional tailplane, promoting a stronger nose-down pitching moment. Another problem with a separate horizontal stabiliser