Normal Shock Waves — Lesson 2

Shock waves are an integral part of supersonic flows. These are very thin discontinuities across which flow properties vary dramatically. In this lesson, we will develop the theory necessary to understand the flow behavior across shocks. For this purpose, we will consider a special case of a shock known as a normal shockwave. As its name suggests, this shockwave is perpendicular to the incoming supersonic flow. Normal shocks generally occur in supersonic internal flows such as flow through supersonic inlets or nozzles, and in supersonic jet flows. It is considered the strongest form of a shock which is responsible for deceleration of a supersonic flow to subsonic. We will touch upon all these aspects and more in this lesson. In fact, what you will learn in this lesson will form the fundamentals of understanding the subject of shock-expansion theory, which includes oblique shocks and expansion waves, which we will learn about in future lessons. Let's get started!

Here is the video lesson.

Alternate video link.

Let us now take a look at the accompanying handout slides.