Sonic boom facts for kids

A sonic boom can be seen with the naked eye.

A sonic boom is created when an object travels faster than the speed of sound. When an airplane reaches the speed of sound, it makes a bang sound or an explosive noise it can be seen with the naked eye. This is often called "breaking the sound barrier." The visible part of a sonic boom is actually air that becomes squashed by sound waves. The thunder that a storm makes is also a sonic boom caused by lightning forcing air to move faster than the speed of sound.

The first plane to travel at the speed of sound was the Bell X-1 in 1947 and was piloted by Chuck Yeager.

Images for kids

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  The sound source is travelling at 1.4 times the speed of sound (Mach 1.4). Since the source is moving faster than the sound waves it creates, it leads the advancing wavefront.

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  NASA data showing N-wave signature.

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  XB1 Supersonic Aircraft

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  A model of a supersonic aircraft made by Virgin Galactic hitting Mach 3.

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  New research is being performed at NASA's Glenn Research Center that could help alleviate the sonic boom produced by supersonic aircraft. Testing was completed in 2010 of a Large-Scale Low-Boom supersonic inlet model with micro-array flow control. A NASA aerospace engineer is pictured here in a wind tunnel with the Large-Scale Low-Boom supersonic inlet model.

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  NASA F-5E modified for DARPA sonic boom tests

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  A point source emitting spherical fronts while increasing its velocity linearly with time. For short times the Doppler effect is visible. When v = c, the sonic boom is visible. When v > c, the Mach cone is visible.

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  An Australian bullwhip

See also

In Spanish: Explosión sónica para niños