A shockwave is a powerful wave of pressure that moves through air, water, or solid materials faster than the speed of sound, created by a sudden, intense release of energy. When something explodes or moves extremely fast, it compresses the air or water around it so violently that it creates this intense pressure wave.

You can see shockwaves in photos of supersonic jets: there's often a cone-shaped cloud around the plane at the exact moment it breaks the sound barrier. That visible cone shows where the shockwave is pushing moisture in the air together. When you hear a sonic boom from a fighter jet, you're experiencing the shockwave reaching your ears.

Shockwaves from explosions can be incredibly destructive, powerful enough to shatter windows, knock down walls, or throw objects through the air. But not all shockwaves are dangerous. When you clap your hands together, you create a tiny shockwave that makes the clapping sound. Some medical devices use carefully controlled shockwaves to break up kidney stones inside a patient's body without surgery.

Scientists study shockwaves to understand everything from how stars explode to how to protect buildings from bomb blasts. The key feature of a shockwave is its speed: it moves so fast that the air or water ahead of it can't get out of the way in time, creating that intense wall of compressed pressure.