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Supersonic Bullet

A .22 caliber bullet is fired from a rifle. The schlieren optical system images different air pressures with different colors of light. The clear bow wave in front of the bullets shows that the bullet is moving faster than the speed of sound. The exact velocity of this supersonic bullet can be calculated from measurements of the bow wake angle. This image freezes the motion by using a high speed flash with a duration of 1/2,000,000th of a second.

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Filename
K08-22quickshot_4398.jpg
Copyright
Ted Kinsman / Science Source Inc.
Image Size
3927x2730 / 3.2MB
Contained in galleries
High-Speed, science, Portfolio
A .22 caliber bullet is fired from a rifle. The schlieren optical system images different air pressures with different colors of light. The clear bow wave in front of the bullets shows that the bullet is moving faster than the speed of sound. The exact velocity of this supersonic bullet can be calculated from measurements of the bow wake angle. This image freezes the motion by using a high speed flash with a duration of 1/2,000,000th of a second.
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