A sonic boom is a loud, explosive noise caused by the shock waves created when an object travels through the air at a speed faster than the speed of sound (also known as breaking the sound barrier). The speed of sound in air is approximately 343 meters per second (1,235 kilometres per hour or 767 miles per hour) at sea level.
How it happens:
When an object (like a supersonic jet) moves through the air, it creates pressure waves in front of and behind it.At subsonic speeds, these waves move ahead of the object.When the object reaches the speed of sound, the waves compress and merge into a single shock wave.As the object continues to travel faster than sound, this shock wave travels outward and reaches the ground as a sonic boom.
What does it sound like?
A sonic boom sounds like a thunderclap or a loud explosion.It is not a single event at the moment the object breaks the sound barrier; rather, it is a continuous effect as long as the object is travelling at supersonic speeds.
