How many mph is mach 1

But even that is subject to variation. However, scientists tend to rely on the speed of sound as measured in dry air i. As with most ratios, there are approximations and categories that are used to measure the speed of the object in relation to the sound barrier.

This gives us the categories of subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic. This categorization system is often used to classify aircraft or spacecraft, the minimum requirement being that most of the craft classified have the ability to approach or exceed the speed of sound. For aircraft or any object that flies at a speed below the sound barrier, the classification of subsonic applies.

This category includes most commuter jets and small commercial aircraft, though some exceptions have been noted i. Since these craft never meet or exceed the speed of sound, they will have a Mach number that is less than one and therefore expressed in decimal form — i. Typically, these aircraft are propeller-driven and tend to have high aspect-ratio slender wings and rounded features. The designation of transonic applies to a condition of flight where a range of airflow velocities exist around and past the aircraft.

These speeds are concurrently below, at, and above the speed of sound, ranging from Mach 0. Transonic aircraft nearly always have swept wings, causing the delay of drag-divergence, and are driven by jet engines.

The next category is supersonic aircraft. Aircraft designed to fly at supersonic speeds show large differences in their aerodynamic design because of the radical differences in the behavior of flows above Mach 1.

These include sharp edges, thin wing sections, and tail stabilizers aka. Craft that typically have this designation include modern fighter jets, spy planes like the SR Blackbird and the aforementioned Concorde. For example, the meteor that entered the skies above the above the small town of Chelyabinsk , Russia, in February of was traveling at a speed of about In other words, the meteorite was traveling between Mach 55 and 56 when it hit our atmosphere!

Given its tremendous speed, when the meteor reached the skies above Chelyabinsk, it created a sonic boom so powerful that it caused extensive damage to thousand of building in six cities across the region. To convert a Mach measurement to a mile per hour measurement, multiply the Mach number by the conversion ratio.

Mach 1 is equal to Mach number and miles per hour are both units used to measure speed. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure. Mach, sometimes also referred to as a Mach number, is the ratio of the speed of an object to the speed of sound. Mach can be abbreviated as M, and is also sometimes abbreviated as Ma.

For example, Mach 1 can be written as 1 M or 1 Ma. Although Mach can be abbreviated M or Ma , the Mach number is typically expressed with the number after the unit name. For example, the expression Mach 3 is preferred rather than 3 Machs or 3 M.

The speed is classified as either subsonic, transonic, supersonic, or hypersonic depending on the Mach number.