Mach Angle Calculator — Formula
## Mach Angle and Shock Cones
When an object travels faster than the speed of sound, it creates a conical shock wave. The half-angle of this cone is called the Mach angle.
### Formula
**mu = arcsin(1 / M)**
where M is the Mach number (ratio of object speed to speed of sound). At Mach 1, the angle is 90 degrees (a flat wave front). As Mach number increases, the cone becomes narrower. At Mach 2, the angle is 30 degrees.
When an object travels faster than the speed of sound, it creates a conical shock wave. The half-angle of this cone is called the Mach angle.
### Formula
**mu = arcsin(1 / M)**
where M is the Mach number (ratio of object speed to speed of sound). At Mach 1, the angle is 90 degrees (a flat wave front). As Mach number increases, the cone becomes narrower. At Mach 2, the angle is 30 degrees.
Esempio Risolto
A fighter jet flying at Mach 2.0.
- mu = arcsin(1 / 2.0) = arcsin(0.5)
- mu = 30° (or 0.5236 radians)
- The shock cone has a half-angle of 30 degrees.