why cant you hear a bullet fired from a gun brake the sound barrier?

Answer 1

i always thought you could :p
you will hear a sonic crack if a bullet fired at high speeds passes you.
speed of sound at sea level is 340 meters per second.
ordinary rifles will fire at about 400 metres per second so will still break the sound barrier while the fastest firing guns will fire at over 1000 metres per second so can almost reach mach 3!!

Answer 2

.................Bullet Wt.(grains) Muzzle Vel.(f.p.s.)
22 Long Rifle ...40.................... 1150
223 Rem. .........53.................... 3330 [See source.]

The above table shows the extreme low and high end muzzle velocities of two guns.

Sound in air travels between 325 and 350 m/sec depending on the air temperature. This converts to about 1066 and 1150 ft/sec. Thus, we see that the muzzle velocities do in fact break the sound barrier, even when sound is traveling at the high end of the scale.

The sound you hear when a gun is fired comes from the explosive outburst of hot gas and, ta da, the bullet breaking the sound barrier. But, as one answer suggested, a bullet is small; so, as it rushes out of the muzzle, it piles up relatively few air molecules to create only a small sound barrier shock wave.

Thus, compared to the SST, there would be very little bang from breaking the sound barrier. In fact, the explosive gases noise would likely overshadow the sound barrier sound coming from firing a rifle or handgun.

Answer 3

I've heard bullets passing over my head, they make a cracking/snapping sound as they whiz by. That sound, I presumed, was the sound of the bullet breaking the sound barrier, or something similar to that. The sound of gunfire was a separate sound.

Answer 4

A bullet from a gun doesn't usually break the sound barrier.

And, I don't really understand your question!

I have never stood close to a gun that I couldn't hear.

What are you trying to say?

Answer 5

well there is a loud "BANG" so that probably covers up the sound barrier bang?
Also, the bullet's smaller than a concord so probably makes a quieter noise anyway (when it breaks the sound barrier).

Answer 6

the only sound you hear is when the bullet is pushed out of the gun by the trigger, it quietly goes to their unknown destination

Answer 7

Because the bullet is faster than sound and your right.

Answer 8

because they dont break the sound barrier