The Mystery of the Supersonic Fighter Jet Speed

What happens when a supersonic fighter jet flies directly over someone on the ground? When a supersonic fighter jet flies directly over someone on the ground, the person would hear the sound of the jet before actually seeing it. As the person looks up, they would notice the jet at an angle of 14.4 degrees above the flat horizon. Now, the question arises - what is the speed of the jet?

Calculating the speed of a supersonic jet involves considering various factors such as the Doppler Shift effect, the time delay between seeing and hearing the jet, and the phenomenon of the sonic boom.

Explaining the Calculation:

The speed of a supersonic fighter jet can be determined by utilizing the information provided regarding the speed of sound in air and the angle at which the observer sees the jet.

One crucial factor to take into account is the Doppler Shift effect, which alters the perceived sound of a moving object based on its speed relative to the observer.

Considering the time delay between the person seeing the jet and hearing it, we can calculate the time it takes for the sound to reach the listener based on the angle at which the jet appears (14.4 degrees above the horizon) and the velocity of sound.

Since the jet is flying at a constant height, we can calculate its velocity by determining the distance it has covered in the time it takes for the sound to reach the listener (using the jet's height and the given angle).

It's important to note that the supersonic jet is moving faster than the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom due to traveling at a velocity exceeding the speed of sound waves it emits.

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