Final answer:
The question regarding normal shock waves and calculating Mach numbers cannot be answered without additional data. A Mach number is the ratio of the velocity of an object to the speed of sound. The question lacks the needed information to calculate the Mach numbers before and after a normal shock wave.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the concept of normal shock waves in fluid dynamics, a topic which is studied in physics. Specifically, it concerns calculating the Mach number before (M1) and after a normal shock wave (M2*N.S.).
However, the question does not provide sufficient data to calculate these Mach numbers (such as the stagnation speed of sound, the actual speed of sound, or any pressures and temperatures related to the flow), so it's not possible to give an exact solution without additional information.
Regarding the provided snippets from the textbook sections and figures, they do not directly offer the necessary data or formulas to solve the question.
For future reference, when provided with such data, the Mach number ahead of the shock (M1) can be computed using the definition of Mach number, which is the ratio of the object's velocity to the speed of sound in the fluid through which the object is moving.
The Mach number behind the shock (M2*N.S.) would be < 1, as the flow becomes subsonic after a normal shock wave.
Q:
In a normal shock flow, the characteristics include the stagnation speed of sound (aₜ) and the speed of sound (a), as illustrated. Determine the following:
(a) Mach number (M₁)
(b) Mach number behind the shock (M₂∗N.S.).