Mach number (M or Ma)
Named in honor of the Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach, the Mach number (Ma or M) represents the ratio of the object speed (u) to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium (c).
Formula: M = u/c.
A Mach number less than 1 implies a subsonic flow, in which the speed of the object is below the speed of sound.
A Mach number equal to 1 implies a sonic flow, in which the speed of the object is equal to that of sound.
A Mach number beyond unity implies a supersonic flow, in which the speed of the object exceeds the speed of sound.
Mach number is a crucial concept in the field of Fluid Mechanics and Gas Dynamics which are prominent topics in the field of Mechanical Engineering.
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