Mach Numbers

As you know, the speed of sound depends on factors such as the temperature and density of the medium through which it travels. Because the temperature and density of air changes at different altitudes, an airplane needs to travel at different speeds in order to travel at the speed of sound.

Because of these variations, Ernst Mach (pronounced "mock") came up with a consistent way to describe the relationship between an object's speed and the speed of sound. If an object is traveling at Mach 1, it's traveling at the speed of sound. At Mach 2, the object is traveling at twice the speed of sound. And so on.

Find your Mach number! Assuming the speed of sound is 758 miles per hour (1220 kilometers per hour) for the air you're traveling through, what's the Mach number for the fastest speed that you've ever gone on your feet, on your bike , or in a car?

miles per hour = Mach

kilometers per hour = Mach

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