As a supersonic airplane increases its speed more and more, the half-angle of the conical shock wave
A) decreases.
B) increases.
C) is not affected.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As a supersonic airplane increases its speed, the half-angle of the conical shock wave decreases. This is because the shock wave angle is inversely related to the Mach number (the ratio of the speed of the airplane to the speed of sound). As the speed of the airplane increases (thus increasing the Mach number), the cone becomes narrower.

As a Supersonic Airplane Increases Its Speed More and More