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A sonic boom is created when you have something creating sound at a speed greater than what the sound wave can get away from the source. A jet flying at super-sonic speed will create a compression wave in front of it where the energy of its passing is 'cumulatively stored'. When this wave reaches a high enough pressure than the speed of sound in it will equal the speed of the jet and the energy will proceed to leak out. Once in 'normal' air this highly compressed wave will then expand into a wave front of ordinary sound that is greater than the sound of the jet passing by itself.

A Sonic Boom is when something travels at such speed, that it breaks the sound barrier. The sound that is caused by breaking the sound barrier, is called a Sonic Boom.

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13y ago

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