# @stem_antics on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVi-ukhgNaI
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61935801-stem-antics-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/f4b1c5e996.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-06T14:37:43.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Stem Antics (@stem_antics) — https://gondola.cc/stem_antics

## Caption

When a firearm is discharged, the sound you hear mostly comes from rapidly expanding high-pressure gases exiting the muzzle. These gases move from extremely high pressure behind the bullet to atmospheric pressure in a fraction of a second, producing a shock wave that we perceive as the gunshot.

A suppressor works by controlling and slowing that gas expansion before it enters the open air.

Inside the suppressor is a series of expansion chambers and baffles. As the bullet passes through the device, the hot propellant gases follow behind it and are forced to:

• Expand into multiple chambers
• Change direction around baffles
• Lose pressure and temperature
• Spread their release over a longer time

Because the gases exit the muzzle more slowly and at lower pressure, the intensity of the sound wave decreases. The result is a significant reduction in the peak sound level.

However, several sound sources still remain:

• Supersonic crack – If the bullet travels faster than the speed of sound, it creates its own shockwave in the air.
• Mechanical noise – Moving parts of the firearm still make sound.
• Residual gas release – Some high-pressure gas still exits the suppressor.

For this reason, suppressed shots are quieter but not silent. Most suppressors reduce sound levels by roughly 20–35 decibels, depending on the firearm, ammunition, and suppressor design.

From an engineering perspective, suppressors are a practical example of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and acoustic wave control applied to a real-world device.

Understanding how they work also shows why the physics of pressure, gas flow, and sound propagation are so important in many areas of engineering and technology.

#stemeducation #physics #engineering #acoustics #fluiddynamics

## Stats

- **Views:** 8,195
- **Likes:** 248
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 6

## Tags

engineering, fluiddynamics, acoustics, stemeducation, physics

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