Can Humans Hear Supersonic Airplanes?

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    Airplanes Supersonic
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether humans can hear supersonic airplanes, focusing on the implications of an aircraft flying faster than the speed of sound. It includes considerations of sound perception from both inside and outside the aircraft.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that humans can hear supersonic airplanes, questioning why there would be any doubt about this.
  • Others clarify that while the airplane travels faster than sound, it would pass by observers before they hear it, suggesting a delay in sound perception.
  • A later reply indicates that individuals inside the airplane would experience sound differently, noting that they would hear noise traveling along the aircraft's body, while external sounds would not reach them in the same way.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of sound perception related to supersonic flight, with no consensus reached on the specifics of how sound is experienced by those inside versus outside the aircraft.

minase
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If an air plane flies much faster than a speed of sound can humans still hear it.
 
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The simple answer is yes. Why would you think otherwise?

~H
 
Last edited:
minase said:
If an air plane flies much faster than a speed of sound can humans still hear it.

It just means that the plane would pass by you first before you would actually hear it fly past by you
 
The humans inside the plane would not hear it. Well, not like those ouside, anyway. The sound traveling along the body of the plane would reach the ears of those inside, but the external noise would be left behind.
 

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