A shock wave is a propagating disturbance moving faster than the local speed of sound in a medium. It creates abrupt, near-instantaneous changes in pressure,...
Shock waves are typically caused by objects moving at supersonic speeds, sudden explosions, or rapid energy releases that compress the surrounding medium instantly, creating a propagating disturbance faster than the speed of sound.
Key characteristics include an extremely rapid and significant increase in pressure, temperature, and density across a very narrow region, propagating at supersonic speeds relative to the undisturbed medium.
They are observed in phenomena such as sonic booms from supersonic aircraft, blast waves from explosions, astrophysical events like supernovae, and even in medical treatments like lithotripsy.
While both are propagating disturbances, sound waves are linear and travel at the speed of sound causing small pressure changes. Shock waves are non-linear, travel faster than sound, and create much more abrupt and significant changes in the medium's properties.
Applications include medical treatments (e.g., lithotripsy for kidney stones), material processing (like shock hardening metals), non-destructive testing, and understanding high-speed aerodynamics in aerospace engineering.