Science glossary film: Sonic boom

The loud bang caused by a plane or other object flying faster than the speed of sound. The boom follows a plane's flight path like a ship's wake. As a plane approaches the speed of sound, shock waves build up ahead of it, and as it pushes through these shock waves the sonic boom is produced.

The boom follows a plane's flight path like a ship's wake. As a plane approaches the speed of sound, shock waves build up ahead of it, and as it pushes through these shock waves the sonic boom is produced.