Sonic boom is produced when a source of sound travels at a speed :

greater than the speed of sound.

greater than the speed of light.

lesser than the speed of sound.

equal to the speed of sound.

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-2 – 2023

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The correct answer is A) greater than the speed of sound.

A sonic boom is a loud sound produced when an object, such as an aircraft, travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. When an object moves at supersonic speed (Mach number greater than 1), it creates shock waves as it compresses the air ahead of it. These shock waves propagate outwards and reach the listener’s ears as a ‘boom’.

The speed of sound varies depending on the medium and its temperature and pressure. At sea level in standard atmospheric conditions (15°C), the speed of sound in air is approximately 343 meters per second (or 1,236 kilometers per hour, or 767 miles per hour). Objects travelling at speeds less than the speed of sound are called subsonic, at the speed of sound are transonic or sonic (Mach 1), and greater than the speed of sound are supersonic or hypersonic (Mach > 5).

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