# Difference between shock wave and shock ?

1. Nov 23, 2011

### sam_021

So I know what a shock wave is but whats a shock ?
is it just the front of the shock wave ?

2. Dec 19, 2011

### onlinementor

A shock wave is also known as the sound frequency. Shock would be classified as the electromagnetic radiation frequency.

3. Dec 23, 2011

### zhermes

You might be confused about your terminology onlinementor; your response isn't correct, and seems to be quite unrelated as-well.

These are (obviously) very related terms. In general, a 'shock' is a contact discontinuity in pressure and/or density of a material. There is often (if not always) a similar discontinuity in temperature, specific energy, entropy etc.
A 'shock wave' is a 'shock' which is propagating along/through the medium---e.g. from an explosion, or non-equilibrium accretion process.

There can be 'standing shocks' in which the shock is stationary; generally this would not be referred to as a shock 'wave' (but the terminology is somewhat loose).
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