What is a Sonic Boom?

The Sonic Boom is associate with the speed of sound. The speed of sound is measured by distance per time unit following a sound wave. A Sonic Boom is created when shock waves travel faster in the air than the speed of sound. Many times, the sonic boom can be calculated by using a formula. Certain aircrafts have created Sonic Booms and they are SR-71 Blackbird, Concorde SST, F-104 Starfighter and a space shuttle.

It is caused by pressure waves. There are these waves around the aircraft. When the aircraft increases, the pressure waves stay the same. This would create a sonic boom due to the change in speed of the waves compared to the speed of sound. The Mach 1 travels about 767 miles per hour.