• Question: Have we broken then sound barrier underwater?

    Asked by david7 to Dave, Susana, Sam, Ed, Ben on 25 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: David Briggs

      David Briggs answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      No.

      The speed of sound in air is 768mph.

      But sounds travels even faster in water – 3320mph – and water is harder to move through than air because it is more dense. The fastest thing under water is a torpedo, at around 200mph.

    • Photo: Susana Teixeira

      Susana Teixeira answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      I would have guessed no: as Dave mentioned it would be a very high speed to attain in a media that has low compressibility so it imposes a very strong drag on any moving object.
      There is however a website that claims it has been done by anti-torpedo torpedoes, thanks to an effect called supercavitation. Not sure…

      Have a look here:
      http://rwhiston.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/9/

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