Breaking the sound barrier: The plane's journey beyond the maximum speed

For a plane to break the sound barrier, its speed must exceed about 1200 km/h, which is the speed of sound in air at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.

What happens when breaking the sound barrier?

1. Reaching the speed of sound:
At this point, the sound waves accumulate in the front of the plane, forming what is known as the "shock wave", which is a high-pressure area.

2. Breaking the speed of sound:
When the plane increases its speed to become faster than sound, the shock wave travels to the back of the plane.

The sound heard on the ground: The explosion heard on the ground is the result of the shock wave leaving its trace behind the plane.

3. The steam cone:
The smoke or cone shape that appears behind the plane is nothing but a steam cone, resulting from a sudden drop in air pressure due to the shock wave.

The distinctive results

Noise: The sound of the "sonic explosion" made by breaking the sound barrier is heard as a loud and sudden noise.

Visual effect: The steam cone is a wonderful visual spectacle that highlights the moment of transition to supersonic speed.

Breaking the sound barrier demonstrates incredible engineering progress and underscores the power of technology to overcome the limits of nature.