what is sonic boom?

Answer 1

A sonic boom is the audible component of a shock wave in air. The term is commonly used to refer to the air shocks caused by the supersonic flight of military aircraft or passenger transports such as Concorde (Mach 2.03, no longer flying) and the Space Shuttle (up to Mach 27 - Note, this high number is largely due to the high altitudes, therefore low air pressures, at which the space shuttle flies). Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion; typically the shock front may approach 167 megawatts per square meter, and may exceed 200 decibels.

When an aircraft is near the sound barrier, an unusual cloud sometimes forms in its wake. A Prandtl-Glauert Singularity results from a drop in pressure, because of shock wave formation. This pressure change causes a sharp drop in temperature, which in humid conditions leads the water vapor in the air to condense into droplets and form the cloud.

Cause
As an object moves through the air, it creates a series of pressure waves in front of it and behind it, similar to the bow and stern waves created by a boat. These waves travel at the speed of sound, and as the speed of the aircraft increases the waves are forced together or 'compressed' because they cannot "get out of the way" of each other, eventually merging into a single shock wave at the speed of sound. This critical speed is known as Mach 1 and is approximately 1,225 kilometers per hour (761 mph) at sea level.

In smooth flight, the shock wave starts at the nose of the aircraft and ends at the tail. There is a sudden rise in pressure at the nose, decreasing steadily to a negative pressure at the tail, where it suddenly returns to normal. This "overpressure profile" is known as the N-wave because of its shape. The "boom" is experienced when there is a sudden rise in pressure, so the N-wave causes two booms, one when the initial pressure rise from the nose hits, and another when the tail passes and the pressure suddenly returns to normal. This leads to a distinctive "double boom" from supersonic aircraft. When maneuvering, the pressure distribution changes into different forms, with a characteristic U-wave shape. Since the boom is being generated continually as long as the aircraft is supersonic, it traces out a path on the ground following the aircraft's flight path, known as the boom carpet.

A sonic boom or "tunnel boom" can also be caused by high-speed trains in tunnels (such as the Japanese Shinkansen). In order to reduce the sonic boom effect, a special shape of the traincar and a widened opening of the tunnel entrance is necessary. When a high speed train enters a tunnel, the sonic boom effect occurs at the tunnel exit. In contrast to the (super)sonic boom of an aircraft, this "tunnel boom" is caused by a rapid change of subsonic flow (from the sudden narrowing of the surrounding space) rather than by a shock wave. Close to the tunnel exit this phenomenon can cause disturbances to residents.

You could get more information the link below...

Answer 2

If an airplane is flying low enough so that the shock wave reaches the ground, anyone in the shock wave's path will experience a sonic boom. The sound is caused by a sudden, momentary change in air pressure that the ear registers as a loud bang.

Answer 3

when an object move faster than the speed of the sound, the pace on that it reached is called the sonic boom.

Answer 4

a sonic boom is heard when an object or plane breaks the sound barrier by traveling faster than the speed of sound- like the space shuttle coming home - when you get two booms - one for the nose and one for the tail

or like a bullwhip - when the end of the whip breaks the sound barrier and it 'cracks'

Answer 5

The following link has a good description of what a sonic boom is and how it is produced. Hope this helps!
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae53.cfm?CFID=11487724&CFTOKEN=34256754

Answer 6

sonic boom is a type of speed that is faster then the speed of sound

Answer 7

sonic boom is a sound which i sproduced when a fighter jet travels in supersonic speed.tht speed is referred as MACH.
mach 2 speed means tht th jet is travellin at twice th speed of sound.

Answer 8

Shock waves

Answer 9

It's the sound my **** makes after I pack down 6 or 7 tacos.

Answer 10

its that sound the guy from street fighter makes...