How Fast Is Whip Tip (crack)?

A whip's tip breaks the sound barrier at about 350 m/s — the famous 'crack' is a tiny sonic boom. The whip multiplies arm speed dramatically through its tapered length, making it one of the first human inventions to go supersonic.

The whip's crack was the first human-made sound to break the sound barrier — predating gunpowder by centuries.

• Above the speed of sound
• First human-made object to go supersonic