ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Burke–Schumann limit

Okay kiddo, do you know what happens when something goes really fast through the air? It creates a sound called a sonic boom! But did you know that as something goes even faster, the sonic boom can be so powerful that it can hurt people's ears or even break windows?

The Burke-Schumann limit is like a speed limit for objects moving through the air. It is named after two scientists, Burke and Schumann, who studied sonic booms. The limit is the fastest speed that an object can go without creating a super loud sonic boom.

Think of it like this: if you are riding a bike and you go too fast, you might lose control and crash. The Burke-Schumann limit is like the maximum speed you can go without losing control.

The limit depends on a lot of things, like the size and shape of the object and the temperature and humidity of the air. Scientists use fancy equations to figure out the limit for different objects.

So, next time you hear a really loud sonic boom, just remember that the Burke-Schumann limit is there to keep things from getting too crazy!