Here's a breakdown:
* Sound waves: Sound travels as waves through the air.
* Speed of sound: This is the speed at which these sound waves propagate, roughly 767 mph (1230 km/h) at sea level.
* Breaking the sound barrier: When an object, like an airplane, moves faster than the speed of sound, it outruns the sound waves it creates. These waves pile up and create a large, intense pressure wave that travels outward from the aircraft.
* Sonic boom: This intense pressure wave is what we hear as a sonic boom, a loud "crack" or "bang."
The sonic boom isn't just a single event; it's a continuous "boom" that follows the aircraft as long as it's traveling faster than the speed of sound.
