jackofcastles: sixpenceee: A visible shockwave. This image of an explosion was captured at the Defen
jackofcastles: sixpenceee: A visible shockwave. This image of an explosion was captured at the Defence Research and Development Canada. Quick physics: the reason you can see the edge of the shockwave is because the pressure of the expanding explosion has squashed the air at that point to a higher density. The higher-density air slows down light passing through it and causes it to change direction (called refraction), giving that distorted mirage-like line. The same effect causes ‘puddles’ to appear on hot roads and is why clear water is usually deeper than it looks.The Slow Mo Guys have an excellent video about shockwaves which is immensely satisfying to watch and does a great job of demonstrating just how fast a faster-than-sound detonation is. Link here -- source link