First Manmade Supersonic Object

What was the first manmade object to break the sound barrier?

- question from Janel & Carisa

Regardless, another object that has been around far longer than gun-launched projectiles was probably the first manmade object to exceed the speed of sound. Believe it or not, this object is a whip. As the whip's user snaps his wrist back and forth, it sends a wave down the length of the whip that accelerates the tip to very high speeds. This speed may even grow fast enough to exceed the speed of sound, particularly if the whip is relatively long. Whips are also known for the distinctive cracking noise they make as the move through the air. This crackling is actually the result of a miniature sonic boom being created by the tip as it travels faster than Mach 1.



Indiana Jones engaging in supersonic research

It is impossible to determine when a whip first broke the sound barrier since this device was invented before the dawn of recorded history. In any event, it is likely that whips have been traveling faster than the speed of sound for at least 5,000 years.

- answer by Joe Yoon, 27 February 2005

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