The discussion centers on the absence of a sonic boom when shooting an air rifle that fires BBs at 1400 feet per second. Participants clarify that the speed of sound in air at 20 degrees Celsius is approximately 1126 feet per second, and the noticeable crack heard when firing is not the sonic boom of the bullet itself but rather the sound generated by the explosion at the barrel. The sonic boom, a result of the bullet traveling faster than sound, does not reach the shooter because they are located within the conical shockwave created by the bullet. Additionally, the characteristics of the sound produced depend on the bullet's size, shape, and speed.
PREREQUISITESThis discussion is beneficial for physicists, firearms enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the acoustics of projectiles and the mechanics of sound propagation in air.
So you might call it an "educated guess"...boneh3ad said:I already admitted in a previous post that some of both what I said and the way I said it was inaccurate. I take back what I said about a shock retaining frequency information from the sound wave generated by the object. That was misguided.