Mach Cone & Sonic Boom

Break the sound barrier and your own pressure waves can no longer escape ahead of you — they pile into a shock cone that trails as a sonic boom.

Mach Cone & Sonic BoomLive

supersonic shock geometry

Controls

Presets

Mach number

Below the speed of sound, pressure waves race ahead of an aircraft. At and above Mach 1 the aircraft outruns its own sound, and the waves pile into a cone-shaped shock — the sonic boom. The faster it flies, the more sharply swept the Mach cone: its half-angle is arcsin(1/M). This geometry governs supersonic and hypersonic vehicle design.

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Data Inspector

Mach2.0

Regimesupersonic

Cone half-angle30.0°

Governing equation

μ = arcsin \frac{1}{M} = arcsin \frac{a}{v} = arcsin \frac{1}{2.0} = 30. 0^{\circ}

Reading this result: At Mach 2.0 the half-angle is arcsin(1/M) = 30.0° — faster flight sweeps the Mach cone tighter around the flight path.

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How it works

Below Mach 1, sound waves spread ahead of an aircraft. At and beyond the speed of sound the aircraft outruns them, and the waves stack into a conical shock front. The faster the flight, the more sharply swept the cone: its half-angle equals arcsin(1/M). This geometry drives the design of supersonic and hypersonic vehicles and the footprint of the boom on the ground.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this Mach cone sonic boom tool really free?▾

Yes. Mach Cone & Sonic Boom runs entirely in your browser using your device's own compute, so local use is free forever. You only pay Compute Tokens if you scale a job to the cloud.

Do I need to install anything?▾

No. Everything runs client-side in a modern browser — no downloads, no license, no account required to start.

Can I save or share my simulation?▾

Create a free account to save projects, and use a shareable embed or minted DOI to publish a live, interactive version anywhere.

How accurate are the results?▾

The solver uses established numerical methods, but results are for research and educational purposes and should be validated against experiment or professional review before you rely on them.