User talk:DanielM-PhD

Faster than the Speed of Sound
This is a little more complex at second glance. There are several "speeds of sound" involved, including the speed of sound in ambient atmosphere, the speed of sound in the hot product mixture, and the speed of sound in the bulk substance undergoing deflagration or detonation. Many fast burning flash powders will burn faster than the speed of sound in the ambient air. This is often (erroneously) referred to as "self-containment." Such mixtures will produce a "bang" instead of a "poof" when burned unconfined. If the reaction front moves through the medium faster than the speed of sound in the bulk substance, this constitutes a detonation. Notice that this speed may be faster or slower than the speed of sound in the ambient atmosphere or surrounding matrix. If this speed is faster, this is a "high order" detonation, and if it is lower, a "low order" detonation. The detonation of PETN or RDX in a shock tube is an example of high-order. Norm Reitzel (talk) 00:03, 26 August 2011 (UTC)