What Is a Sonic Boom? And How It Breaks Every Rule You Know

A sonic boom is created when an object surpasses the speed of sound. But what causes a sonic boom?

With Special Thanks To:
Misha A-Wilson, Katrina Brogan, Michelle & Aaron Finn, Jeff Lee, Kent Zacherl, Steve Bradshaw, Lisa Pimlett, Matthew Russell, Saverius

Thoughty2 (Arran) is a British YouTuber and gatekeeper of useless facts. Thoughty2 creates mind-blowing factual videos, on the weirdest, wackiest and most interesting topics. Combining fascinating lists with answers to life's biggest questions.

[Jarekthegamingdragon]

340 m/s is 760 freedom speed for the rest of you americans out there

[serisak]

the actual speed of sound depends on the medium through which it travels.
since water is much denser than air, and it is very difficult to compress, the speed of sound is about 4 times faster in water, compared to atmospheric air.
which makes that little shrimp even more impressive.

[TheChimichanga-bruu]

Many young boys have moved faster than the spped of sound, and created a sonic boom. An example is when their mom walks in on them watching P0rn. They close the laptop so fast, it creates a sonic boom.

[Selkie]

"For goodness sake, nature, calm down."

I need that on a t-shirt.

[THErealJJGrayg]

You make the most interesting videos, illustrate and make easy to understand complex things such as this, and do it all without being a boring and monotone buzzkill. Keep it up, I really enjoy your videos!

[Mitch-rdgs]

If a sonic boom is a continuous sound, and the pilot can’t hear it because they’re traveling in front of the Mach cone, doesn’t that mean that once the pilot slows down they’ll hear it?

[MaximusLX]

Thoughty2 is a better teacher than my previous science teachers. Haha.

[xeztan]

Shrimp uses clap: it's super effective!

[johnpotatogaminggr]

Shrimp creates sonic boom by snapping claws

Jet: "am i a joke to you?"

[SirBeauJangles]

Best explanation of the sonic boom I've heard so far. Very nicely composed.

[darkspartan]

Shrimp: I create a sonic boom when I snap my claw!

Thanos: Am I a joke to you?

[TaeNyv]

Am i the only one who also winks after he said "subscribe for more "forty two"

[Bruceja]

Maybe it is a REAL LIFE GLITCH! .... ok maybe not, but you never know....

[Dquared]

Thoughty2's fuckability scale= 11/10.

[nxnsense]

What is sonic boom? It's a bad game.
What causes a sonic boom? Bad programming.

[seanmcaleavy]

That sound you hear when a hummingbird flies by are countless little sonic booms created by their rapidly beating wings. True story.

[nishitraj.]

Live this channel !! Keep up the food work !

[m.wilkinson]

liked the way you explained the Doppler effect in layman's terms and with clear explanations. Keep it up man

[lawlis]

Video title: What Is a Sonic Boom?
Awnser: A terrible game

[elbu]

Nice and clear explanation. Allow me to finetune some airodynamic aspects.Speed of sound at sealevel is indeed 340 m/s, but this only true for an infinite small disturbance in the air. It is used for calcultations, but actual sound usually goes faster. How much faster depend on how loud (the pressure difference over the sound wave) the disturbance actually is. In plain terms: loud noise travels faster than weak noise. To use the example of the video, the sonic boom (pressure wave) moves at the same forward speed as the plane that produces it. Plane goes mach 1.5, the sonic boom moves at mach 1.5. That is why a plane does not goes faster as the sound it produces, it actually accumulates the pressure wave in front of the plane and drags it along at the same speed.