Brain Teasers
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Trivia
Trivia brain teasers have some element of trivia in them, but they are not just pure trivia questions.Trivia
A number of people have broken the sound barrier, either in a super-fast car, or in nice fancy planes. However, hundreds of years ago it was broken on horseback. How?
Answer
Many people who ride horses carry whips. They crack the whip while they ride the horse. When a whip is cracked, the tip travels faster than the speed of sound, which makes the loud snap. It actually creates a miniature sonic boom of sorts. The whip breaks the sound barrier, thus, it was broken on horseback.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
wow. I learned something new today. Nice job!
wow. I learned something new today. Nice job!
cool
That's interesting!
I went back to school today very good one, gave me an headache
well, as much as I deal with horses I probably should have known that!! Good JOB Swaff!
This one was a snap...good one.
I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THE SAME THING WHEN GROWING UP, BUT ALWAYS DOUBTED THE VALIDITY.
THE ROMANS AND EGYPTIANS USED WHIPS (ON HORSES AMONG OTHER THINGS) "THOUSANDS" OF YEARS AGO.
TKS.
THE ROMANS AND EGYPTIANS USED WHIPS (ON HORSES AMONG OTHER THINGS) "THOUSANDS" OF YEARS AGO.
TKS.
well that one was great...!
Who was the comedian who used to say, "Verry Inerresting?" He was on SNL. I too say, "Verry Inerresting."
Kids, just be sure you don't take someone's eye out with this one!
EZPZ Swaff, but fun fact. Thanks for submitting!
EZPZ Swaff, but fun fact. Thanks for submitting!
PS: For those who care... It's the Law of Conservation of Energy. As the whip goes from thick to very thin at the tip, the mass decreases... The energy is the same and has to "go" somewhere... It goes into accelerating the tip beyond the sound barrier... The energy dissipates in the form of sound waves and heat. SNAP!
Have to agree with all of the above. This was very educational and interesting.
Fun to learn ... and fun to learn even more from these other Brilliant Brainglers. Thanx EVERYNE!
Cool! Of course, I would think this might go under the Trick category.
To Marschie: I remember that phrase, "Verrrrry Interrresting," but it wasn't on SNL... it was one of the regular phrases spoken on that very old comedy show, "Laugh In." It was one of Arte Johnson's characters where he wore a German uniform and helmet, and would be hiding behind some shrubbery, peeking through at one of their other funny skits. He used a German accent, too, when he said that phrase.
Ok, I'm dating myself again... yes, I remember those OLD shows!! LOL
Ok, I'm dating myself again... yes, I remember those OLD shows!! LOL
I also thought this was an excellent brain teaser!! It never occured to me that a bullwhip made that cracking sound because of breaking the sound barrier. MY guess was really dumb... I thought it was that he passed over a time zone.... hahahaha!!!
Ireally did not know just how interesting all this was til I read the comments. their are some very well informed people here. Thx.Keep these coming.
I love you people! Everyone here seems to want to learn for the pure and simple satisfaction of obtaining knowledge! Thanks youse guyes! Verrrry intttterrrrrresting stuffs here!
I got this one!
huh? i dont get this one! i mean i kinda understand but its sorta confusing. someone please help me out??
RESPOND TO THIS COMMENT PLEASE!!
RESPOND TO THIS COMMENT PLEASE!!
smart! nice!
PLEASE RESPOND TO THE COMMENT TWO ABOVE MINE PLEASE!!
I think of the whips that jockeys use while riding a horse and it's more of a switch kind of a device that just smacks the horse's butt (i'm totally not a horse person) and not a whip that breaks the sound barrier. The ones you imagine being used by old stage coach drivers are the whips that crack from the mini sonic boom...but those are used from a carriage or coach rather than on the horse's back.
davidrools? thanks sooo much!!! yay
davidrools whats your last name??
After checking the answer, I knew it. But, I have to admit, this wasn't on the list of any of the items I have learned to remember. Very good and a fascinating teaser for youngsters. Keep them coming.
Good job! I didn't really care for it but trivia teasers don't interest me that much ... still good job
Good job, davidrools. I got on here (for the first time ever, mind you!) only to be annoyingly erudite and point out that while this was a cool braingle, it was not strictly true - the whips used while riding, also called quirts, are short and do not break the sound barrier. These long whips are only used while driving. So there you have it, Mighty Brains! Keep on braingling!
mentalcase
mentalcase
heard this somewhere else, but i couldn't figure out then, but when i saw the answer, i wondered why i didn't.
wow i cant wait to tell my friends that one.
neat little trivia fact....i read it in a puzzler book somewhere once
thats very interesting....makes sense
I too learned something new. Great teaser!
neato.
Wow, that was brilliant, and very interesting! Didnt know this! Thanks to all those who gave the scientific explanation - i have learnt something new today! Thanks for the teaser.
Finally a "harder" one I can get.. lol.
Nice job there. I was trying to think what you could do to a horse that would make him that fast. But having been raised on the farm I can remember my dad popping the old bull whip over the horse's head when he was rounding up the cows. But of course I didn't remeber until I saw the answer. Great job.
The difficulty rating would apparently show that that is *not* a commonly known fact...
I knew that from when I was in third grade
But then I like finding out random oddities and nuances. Did you know that coca-cola was originally green?
I knew that from when I was in third grade
But then I like finding out random oddities and nuances. Did you know that coca-cola was originally green?
Am I the only person who also thought of firearms? A flintlock pistol propels a bullet faster than sound, and flintlocks were being used by soldiers on horseback at least a couple of hundred years ago.
OK, it's kinda out there but I was thinking about breaking a horse who's name was "Sound Barrier".
Another repeat,another repeat, another repeat, another repeat, another repeat. TAKE NOTICE EDITORS, SEE HOW SICKENING IT IS SEEING THE SAME OLD TEASERS.
Hmmm, even with the correction provided by Davidrools, I'm not sure I believe this explanation, I thought a whip cracks because it's leather striking leather really hard. I don't know enough physics to judge if the answer given for this teaser is correct or not. Just call me a skeptic today.
Doehead, cool it. Don't make me sorry I voted to keep you here. I have been a member for at least 2 years, and I hadn't seen this one. Now, I admit I have been wondering why most post lately are so old, but I assume not many people are submitting.
Interesting, but I agree that you use a different kind of whip on a horse. It is called a crop. Anyway, my answer was Paul Revere !
HA!
Fun!
I was hung up on the horse breaking the sound barrier, never gave a thought to the whip. I even knew that fact from many years ago, but never connected it to this teaser. Well done.
yay i got it with my first guess. and did you know if you dipped a whp in gasoline, and cracked it it would make a mini fireball becuase of the air friction of the sonic boom.
Very easy, Looking at the dates again it appears that this was reaser of the day on this date in 2006 and 2009 now in 2012- Another 3 year cycle it seems. When I first started on this site I never ubderstood why it bothered Doehead so much. Now that I've been here for a bit I completely understand and agree. We need to get some newer teasers in the rotation, Many of the submitters of these old teasers have not even been on the site in 3+ years.
Fun teaser!
I agree w/ HABS. Maybe that guy DOEHEAD was pretty smart after all.
Actually, I learned this a couple days ago in physics. And I was so excited to use my knowledge today! Well written. Danke!
never would have guessed that
Just reading some of the comments is like they are breaking the sound barrier!!
2006-2009-1012-2015. I guess we'll see this one again in 2018.
I knew that fact about the whip and I stil didn't get the answer
Yes, you did see it again in 2018.
You do not use a whip for horseback riding. A bullwhip may be utilized while on horseback to drive other animals, however. It is used while driving a team of horses from behind. A riding crop or the reins are used while on horseback. Spurs are the alternative.
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