Most people don’t understand sonic booms – but they’re the reason the plane you fly in doesn’t go faster.
As any plane flies, it pushes air out of its path, creating pressure waves.
When a plane flies FASTER than sound, the air molecules get compressed into bigger shock waves which our brain processes as a loud BOOM.
But a common misconception is: That boom doesn’t just happen once when the plane hits that speed. It boooooooooms the whole time, along the entire path of the plane!
That BOOOOM is the reason supersonic flight is banned over many countries today. But now, NASA is trying to build a quieter plane and bring back supersonic flight. We got to go see it, and you can watch our longer episode about what we saw…
This video is part of our show Huge If True. If you like optimistic science and tech stories, subscribe for more.
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