What is the so called ‘sound barrier’? And why is there something visible when an Aircraft ‘breaks through’ it? What is it we see? I dont get it at all
In: Physics
The sound barrier is measured as 1.00 Mach, or the exact speed of sound. Most commercial aircraft fly around 0.81 Mach, essentially 81% the speed of sound. Supersonic aircraft (for example, the Concorde, which flew at 2.02 Mach) break the “sound barrier” once they cross 1.00 Mach. Depending on how fast this speed is reached, as the aircraft reaches the speed of sound (1.00 Mach), the pressure waves (sound waves) become visible, because the object is now flying faster than the sound waves within the air. In short, all sound travels through air, so when an aircraft abruptly reaches the sound barrier (unlike the Concorde, which gradually reached the sound barrier), the aircraft is now flying faster than the sound waves traveling through the air, thus creating a sonic boom and visible atmospheric pressure form around the aircraft. Essentially, the aircraft is flying faster than the speed of its own sound, thus resulting in an abrupt sound (sonic boom) and visible waves (the actual sound waves being pushed out of the way by the aircraft). Hope this answers your question!
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