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When hunting, peregrines will often dive from high altitudes, using gravity to reach astonishing speeds. Achieving such feats is made possible by their sleek bodies and mighty wings. In fact, the world record for the fastest bird is a peregrine falcon that was clocked diving at 242 mph. While the average cruising speed of a peregrine is around 60 mph, they are capable of reaching much higher speeds when hunting. Divers have recorded Peregrine Falcons diving at speeds over 240 mph, making them one of the fastest animals in the world. This species of bird of prey typically inhabits open countryside, nesting on cliffs or tall buildings. For example, it is used to determine the materials’ thickness, the objects’ size, and the distance of things.
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The speed of sound is an essential factor in many applications.
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For example, at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), the speed of sound in air is 331.5 m/s (1,087 ft/s), but at 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), the speed of sound is 343 m/s (1,125 ft/s). As the temperature rises, sound speed increases. The speed of sound is also affected by the temperature of the medium. In water, it travels at about 1,484 m/s (4,898 ft/s), and in steel, it travels at about 5,960 m/s (19,500 ft/s). It is generally believed that sound travels at 330 meters per second (m/s) in the air at room temperature, or 1,130 feet per second (ft/s). Depending on the medium, sound travels at varying speeds. The sound waves are vibrations of pressure waves travelling through the air or any other medium. So next time you see an aeroplane soaring through the sky, remember that it’s overcoming a genuinely extraordinary feat of aeronautical engineering. While the sound barrier has been broken many times since 1947, it still presents a significant challenge for pilots and engineers alike. This is why supersonic flight is so tricky – aircraft have to generate enough force to overcome this “wall” of air. In the event that an aeroplane travels at speed faster than sound, the air pressure in front of it builds up to a point where it’s literally pushing the plane back. But what exactly is the sound barrier? Simply put, it’s an aerodynamic barrier that aircraft must break through to fly at supersonic speeds. In 1947, Chuck Yeager made history by becoming the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.
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Peregrine falcons are really fast, and this has led to many people asking if it is possible that they can survive, so we will explore if they can, how close they come and what would happen if they did. 11 Lofty Facts: How Far Can Peacocks Fly? (2022)
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