Why does shooting cause loud noise?

The firefight between "good people" and "bad guys" are indispensable spices for Hollywood action movies. Although the context, characters, and reality are different, there is a common point between them: gunfire.

But will you ever wonder where these gunshots come from? ScienceABC science page will help you answer.

Picture 1 of Why does shooting cause loud noise?
After the bullet left the barrel, the pressure of the explosion (occurring in the back) was suddenly released, creating a loud explosion.

Science of gunshots

A shot is basically a phenomenon of releasing a bullet from a shotgun, rifle or similar weapon, accompanied by a mechanical sound and leaving a chemical residue.

This process is relatively simple: When you pull the trigger, the bullet will leave the barrel, there will be a loud noise accompanied by a shocking sensation at the hand of the trigger. In addition, you can add a spinning bullet to fly out of the barrel to make the effect more impressive.

Explaining gunfire from a physical perspective

A normal bullet consists of three main parts: detonator (bullet launch), propellant (accelerating bullet to barrel) and warhead (the part that hits the target).

Picture 2 of Why does shooting cause loud noise?
Structure of a bullet.

By the time you pull the trigger, the spring system smashes the fire in the tail of the bullet to help burn the small amount of explosives inside the detonator one after another. This process continues to burn propellants and chemicals, quickly creating a large amount of gas. This gas will increase the pressure behind the bullets, pushing them away from the barrel with extreme speed to reach the target.

After the bullet left the barrel, the pressure of the explosion (occurring in the back) was suddenly released. This is the reason for making a big "BANG" explosion when shooting. The same thing happens when you open a bottle of champagne.

The explosion is not the only sound when a bullet leaves the barrel. We can hear a crack when the bullet pierces the target. This sound is fired by bullets moving at speeds greater than the speed of sound. Movements that emit super fast speeds will create vibrations as they travel through the air, creating crack sounds.

Picture 3 of Why does shooting cause loud noise?
The explosion is not the only sound when a bullet leaves the barrel.

Many people have said that shootings and gunfire sounds on the film are actually "fiction" or "Hollywood effects", but after reading this article, you will believe that these things are completely scientific basis.