For K-12 Students · Mach Cone
Mach Cone for a Mars lander
Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a Mars lander live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Mach Cone & Sonic BoomLive
supersonic shock geometry
Controls
Presets
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.
Data Inspector
Mach2.0
Regimesupersonic
Cone half-angle30.0°
Governing equation
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.
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for k-12 students?
- Yes — this version of "Mach Cone for a Mars lander" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.