Sonic boom

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sonic-boom

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a sonic boom?A sonic boom is the loud sound that happens when something flies faster than the speed of sound. It is made by shock waves that build up in front of the object.
2. Why is a sonic boom so loud?The shock waves cause a sudden jump in pressure, temperature, and density of the air. That quick change makes a big, sharp noise that people hear as a boom.

Mach number: The ratio of an object's speed to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium.
Shock wave: A transient propagating disturbance in a medium, characterized by an abrupt change in pressure, temperature, and density.
N-wave: The characteristic pressure signature of a sonic boom, featuring a rapid rise, a gradual decrease, and a rapid return to ambient pressure.