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Mach Bands
Mach Bands are referred to as the light that causes optical illusions in the brain. Mach planted the idea that our senses process information before sending it to the brain. Optical illusions were seen as errors in judgment or quirks in the brain. Less often called our sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin), they were often regarded as having a direct link to the brain. Mach argued with the fact that processing does not all occur in the brain, but features of our senses themselves. -
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Measurement of Sound and Wave Propogation
While a Professor at Charles University, Mach underwent experiments in Kinesthetic Sensation. These studies related the feelings with different movements and accelerations. He developed ways of measuring sound and wave propagation. He brought forth the principles of supersonics. -
Mach challenges Newton!
Mach challenged Newton's Bucket Experiment. Newton introduced the idea that force, mass, and acceleration were justified by absolute space and absolute time as shown in his rotating bucket experiment. Mach argued that it is not clear that we have absolute space. He said, "No one can say how the experiment would turn out if the walls of the vessel increased in thickness and mass, eventually reaching a thickness of several miles". He equalizes that mass has inertia, so gravity has its own origin. -
Mach Numbers - Supersonics
Mach introduced the idea of supersonics in 1887 called Fluid Mechanics. This is the ratio of the velocity of sound in a fluid. A study of fluid mechanics, it measures an object in flight such as an aircraft. Mach numbers are the velocity of the object through a fluid divided by the velocity of sound in that fluid. Mach numbers greater than one shock waves develop on the moving body.