1. Subsonic
An aircraft in flight compresses the air ahead of it. The compression waves move away from the aircraft in all directions at the speed of sound
Compression
waves
2. Speed of sound
At the sound barrier, the waves pile up on top of one another to create a shock wave. When this reaches your ear, you hear a boom
Sonic boom
shock wave
3. Supersonic
Beyond Mach 1 (the speed of sound – 767mph), the shock waves merge into a single shock wave cone that trails behind the aircraft. The sonic boom is created continuously as long as the aircraft is travelling faster than Mach 1
Shockwave cone
Sonic booms generate huge amounts of energy, which to the human ear can resemble an explosion
Compression waves
Sonic boom shock wave
Shockwave cone
3. Supersonic
Beyond Mach 1 (the speed of sound – 767mph), the shock waves merge into a single shock wave cone that trails behind the aircraft. The sonic boom is created continuously as long as the aircraft is travelling faster than Mach 1
1. Subsonic
An aircraft in flight compresses the air ahead of it. The compression waves move away from the aircraft in all directions at the speed of sound
2. Speed of sound
At the sound barrier, the waves pile up on top of one another to create a shock wave. When this reaches your ear, you hear a boom