Twenty Thousand Hertz cover image

The Physics of Sound w/ Bill Nye the Science Guy

Twenty Thousand Hertz

CHAPTER

The Sound of a Shock Wave

The sound generated by a shock wave is called a sonic boom. Most sonic booms are caused by human inventions, but not all of them. What you're hearing right now is a series of underwater sonic booms made by pistol shrimps snapping their claws together. When a pistol shrimp snaps its claws, it shoots a kind of bubble bullet that moves toward its prey at up to 62 miles an hour. It creates a sonic boom loud enough to stun or even kill its prey.

00:00
Transcript
Play full episode

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
App store bannerPlay store banner