Uploaded October 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Can we approximate the exit Mach number of a rocket nozzle knowing only the area ratio? With a few assumptions, we certainly can! In fact, if we know how the area changes along a nozzle from the throat to the exit, we can calculate how the Mach number varies throughout the entire nozzle.
===== NOTES =====
► I'll make sure to never use my orange marker again
► If you download my Method of Characteristics MATLAB code from my GitHub (link below), you can see that the results of both match very closely!
===== HOW TO SOLVE AREA-MACH NUMBER RELATION =====
joshtheengineer.com/2016/11/16/solving-the-area-mach-number-relation
===== ROCKET NOZZLE - METHOD OF CHARACTERISTICS =====
github.com/jte0419/Rocket_Nozzle_Design
===== RELEVANT VIDEOS =====
Area-Mach Number Differential Form
goo.gl/tDzBtM
Sonic State
goo.gl/j6yCxD
Stagnation-to-Static Relations
goo.gl/r5JZSQ
Normal Shock Relations
goo.gl/E5Lwac
===== REFERENCES =====
► Notes by Matt MacLean
► Modern Compressible Flow, Anderson
► Elements of Gasdynamics, Liepmann and Roshko
► Gas Dynamics, Zucrow and Hoffman
===== THUMBNAIL IMAGE =====
By NASA (mix.msfc.nasa.gov/abstracts.php?p=2388) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Can we approximate the exit Mach number of a rocket nozzle knowing only the area ratio? With a few assumptions, we certainly can! In fact, if we know how the area changes along a nozzle from the throat to the exit, we can calculate how the Mach number varies throughout the entire nozzle.
===== NOTES =====
► I'll make sure to never use my orange marker again
► If you download my Method of Characteristics MATLAB code from my GitHub (link below), you can see that the results of both match very closely!
===== HOW TO SOLVE AREA-MACH NUMBER RELATION =====
joshtheengineer.com/2016/11/16/solving-the-area-mach-number-relation
===== ROCKET NOZZLE - METHOD OF CHARACTERISTICS =====
github.com/jte0419/Rocket_Nozzle_Design
===== RELEVANT VIDEOS =====
Area-Mach Number Differential Form
goo.gl/tDzBtM
Sonic State
goo.gl/j6yCxD
Stagnation-to-Static Relations
goo.gl/r5JZSQ
Normal Shock Relations
goo.gl/E5Lwac
===== REFERENCES =====
► Notes by Matt MacLean
► Modern Compressible Flow, Anderson
► Elements of Gasdynamics, Liepmann and Roshko
► Gas Dynamics, Zucrow and Hoffman
===== THUMBNAIL IMAGE =====
By NASA (mix.msfc.nasa.gov/abstracts.php?p=2388) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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Static text fields can be used to indicate the status of your program, or simply to write text or numbers. This video describes how to set the static text field in a MATLAB GUI. Explained: Static Text GUI [MATLAB]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cWZLGpaVwwE/mqdefault.jpg)

![How To: Calculate F1 Car Aerodynamic Deceleration at Top Speed
Lets calculate the instantaneous deceleration that an F1 driver will feel when they lift off the throttle at top speed! This deceleration that Im calculating in the video is solely due to aerodynamic drag.
I forgot to mention that Im assuming no rolling resistance in this analysis. I mentioned it in my Top Speed video, and then forgot to add it in here. If I did include rolling resistance, it would be another term on the right-hand-side of the power equation, because the engine would need to overcome rolling resistance as well. Another assumption I forgot to mention is that there is no wind, that is, the air we are driving through is calm.
I misspoke (and mis-wrote) the name Peter Windsor, instead of Peter Wright. My apologies, but I dont want to film everything again. Another thing to note is that in the article (linked to below), the author says that the CdA of 1.3 m^2 is for a non-DRS car, whereas for a car with DRS enabled, the Cd will decrease. The product of CdA will then also decrease. In my analysis, Im just using the non-DRS value given, based on an assumption that right when the driver lifts, the DRS flap will close, even if its technically activated by pressing the brakes.
If you want to learn how to calculate the top speed of a car, check out my other video here:
goo.gl/rl1Igx
Links for information used in the video:
Value for CdA: goo.gl/xa7u3a
DRS : goo.gl/icOeCL
FIA Event Timing for Bahrain: goo.gl/GbBIXM
If you liked the video, please subscribe! If you didnt, let me know how I can improve.
Photo credits for the thumbnail image:
By Morio (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons How To: Calculate F1 Car Aerodynamic Deceleration at Top Speed](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dy0D69pMYak/mqdefault.jpg)
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![Explained: NACA 4-Digit GUI Part 8/10 [MATLAB]
This is the eighth video in my 10-video series on coding a program in MATLAB to compute, display, and save a NACA 4-digit airfoil.
IN THIS VIDEO:
We code the radio button for showing the camber line of the airfoil. We also code the Exit button.
Radio Button Video:
https://goo.gl/E4Owva
Exit Button Video:
https://goo.gl/aarwmW
IN THIS SERIES:
Part 1/10 : https://goo.gl/9UBgbo
Part 2/10 : https://goo.gl/jRRcYJ
Part 3/10 : https://goo.gl/rSVLHo
Part 4/10 : https://goo.gl/HwHB39
Part 5/10 : https://goo.gl/AlDne8
Part 6/10 : https://goo.gl/7n1QP7
Part 7/10 : https://goo.gl/nTGleR
Part 8/10 : https://goo.gl/ez247P
Part 9/10 : https://goo.gl/8mXYcc
Part 10/10: https://goo.gl/ovBlbW Explained: NACA 4-Digit GUI Part 8/10 [MATLAB]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eW8eEJtwRqA/mqdefault.jpg)
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After solving for the geometric integral from the previous video (Iij), we have the expression for the normal velocity on a panels control point in terms of variables we know. Since we have N unknowns (where N is the number of panels approximating the airfoil surface), we need N equations to solve the system.
This video goes through how to set up the system of equations that needs to be solved in order to obtain each panels source strength.
RELEVANT VIDEOS
► Panel Methods Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWjo3N9COz4&list=PLxT-itJ3HGuUDVMuWKBxyoY8Dm9O9qstP
► Panel Method Geometry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIqxbd937PI
► Building More Complex Flows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKzbwJvKcmw
► Flow Around an Airfoil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLdv1UfX1g8
► Normal Velocity Geometric Integral [I(ij)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76vPudNET6U
► Tangential Velocity Geometric Integral [J(ij)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRHnOsueic8
► Streamline Geometric Integral SPM [Mx(ij) and My(ij)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnPZjGCatcg
NOTES
→ To solve the system of equations, Im using the programmatic function (x = Ab). This takes care of the solution method for you, but you can also use your own Gaussian elimination solver, for instance. Here is a link to the MATLAB documentation for the solver:
https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/mldivide.html
ERRORS
→ If you see an error in the video, please let me know and I will include it here.
REFERENCES
Note: the links are Amazon affiliate links. If you do happen to want to buy the book and use the link below, it helps me out a little.
► Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, Anderson
https://amzn.to/3emVuXU
► Foundations of Aerodynamics, Kuethe and Chow
https://amzn.to/2yMg1Vi
► Theory of Wing Sections, Abbott and Doenhoff
https://amzn.to/2wvZyUt Source Panel Method: System of Equations](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ep7vPzGYsbw/mqdefault.jpg)
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This video explains how to select files from a folder and make those file names visible in a listbox. Explained: Populate a Listbox [MATLAB]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/esZVttsTQ9I/mqdefault.jpg)
