How does a whip break the sound barrier? (Slow Motion Shockwave formation) - Smarter Every Day 207
What it is
Smarter Every Day uses high-speed and Schlieren photography to show how a whip crack is a supersonic shockwave formed at the tip. It references academic papers on whip physics.
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as the clearest footage of a whip tip going supersonic, and cited in shockwave discussions.
- 2 people recommended it
- 2 different months
- 2 strong recommendations
- first 2019, last 2023
What HN commenters said
“I highly recommend it.”
Old-school Schlieren setup capturing shockwave formation in whip cracks.
wolfram74, 2019-03 · Strong recommendation · in “Nasa captures images of supersonic shockwaves”
“(very much recommended)”
Shows a whip tip reaching supersonic speed.
nuccy, 2021-12 · Strong recommendation · in “Supersonic Trebuchet”
Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.
Topics: schlieren photography, supersonic, shockwave, slow motion, physics
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