Can you break the sound barrier without creating a loud bang?

Asked Nov 02 '21 at 23:26

Active Nov 03 '21 at 05:35

Viewed 62 times

The loud bang of the breaking of the sound barrier is known. But it sureley has to do with acceleration. High speed jets accelerate with $11.1 m/s^2$ the air gets compressed and has barely time to move away, so they get crunched with high pressure "explodes" when the plane is faster than the air movement.

Can you silence the breaking of the sound barrier by really slowly accelerating?

edited Nov 03 '21 at 05:35

Qmechanic

201,751

asked Nov 02 '21 at 23:26

CaspianTerrazzo

7

Does this answer your question? Is a sonic boom a one-time bang or a continuous noise? – fqq Nov 02 '21 at 23:29
1

“But it sureley has to do with acceleration” — No, it surely has to do with the speed. For a piece of air to start “moving away”, nearby piece of air should tell that it needs to move away by means of an acoustic wave travelling with the speed of sound. If the reason to “move away” is travelling faster than that (no matter the history of acceleration), it will meet the aforementioned piece of air before than possible acoustic wave. – Vasily Mitch Nov 03 '21 at 00:39
@fqq Yes thank you :) – CaspianTerrazzo Nov 03 '21 at 07:52
Related: https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/270969/59023 – honeste_vivere Nov 03 '21 at 13:09

Can you break the sound barrier without creating a loud bang?

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