What do you think of when you hear the words "compression shock wave"???

Question

...tom science

Answer 1

The shock wave experienced by a body traveling at the speed of sound. This happens because when something travels at that speed, the sound waves it produces a it moves are compresed together, with all the waves' front portions are at the same point.

Also wanna point out that this is not the same as a sonic boom.

Answer 2

I think of a propagating wave of pressure in a fluid medium, such that the wave has both a speed and direction at each point on its surface (usually a circle in 2D and a sphere in 3D).

And I generally think of the shock wave being "between" internal and an external pressurized regions which are of lower pressure. So basically like a ribbon or a moving front of high pressure moving trhough an ambient medium of low pressure. Also, if the wave is moving in a circle or a sphere, I tend to also think of it as a dissipating phenomenonm since the circumference of the circle or sphere is continually getting larger, but the total energy is not, thus the energy in any one particular direction keeps getting weaker since you have to divide total energy by total surface area. For a circle it'll be an inverse square function (2 dimensions). For a sphere, it'll be an inverse cubic function (3 dimensions).

I may also associate "Compression shock wave" with a sonic boom, if we're talking about jet propulsion, and the jet is approachingthe speed of sound, or crosses it.

But then I guess I tend to think in pretty abstract and theoretical ways sometimes...

Answer 3

I think of the compression wave that forms in front of a wing prior to it exceeding the speed of sound. Essentially the air in front is compressed and the disturbance wave from the approaching wing edge form a "shock" wave that tends to deflets air up and above the wing, reducing its total lifting capacity and blocking the tail section from receiving its required airflow.

Its far more complex than this of course, but this is basically the essence behind the "sonic boom"

Answer 4

a shock wave that has been compressed of course

Answer 5

An aircraft approaching the speed of sound.

Answer 6

the blast from a Nuclear bomb

Answer 7

Sound.