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Can a nuclear reactor explode as a nuclear bomb?
Highly unlikely if not altogether impossible. In a core meltdown, you might see a steam explosion if the core melts and breaches the containment structure and hits say cooling water. But even a runaway chain reaction in a reactor would not cause a nuclear explosion like a bomb.
Can an improperly operated nuclear power plant explode like a nuclear weapon?
Nuclear reactors can not explode like a nuclear bomb. A lot of bad things can happen, but that is not one of them. Nonnuclear Explosion: First, it is useful to distinguish "normal" explosion from nuclear bomb. (We'll get to the bomb part shortly.) Explosions of many kinds can occur and they can occur at nuclear power plants and reactors just as anywhere else. It is not odd to have a steam powered explosion at a power plant whether it is nuclear or coal or gas because all of these types of power plants are converting heat into mechnical energy through a trubine or similar machine and the turbine generates electricity. The heat creates steam at high pressure and a mechanical failure can result in an explosion. An explosion of the sort caused by excess heat or mechanical failure counts as one resulting from mismanagement. Explosions can be caused by humans too. A human can place a regular bomb at a nuclear power plant or a human can fire a missile at a power plant and then the power plant, nuclear or not, explodes. Nuclear Bomb Explosions: The principle behind a nuclear bomb is the idea of the chain reaction. Nuclear fission is the process of a large nucleus, like uranium, breaking apart into smaller pieces and releasing energy in the process. When one nucleus decays, it causes other nuclei to decay and they in turn cause more. Such is a chain reaction, it feeds itself and the process grows and results in an explosion as long as there is enough fuel. That last part is the key because you can't make a nuclear bomb explode (or any bomb) if you run out of fuel. Now, we get to the part about "weapons grade" nuclear material. A nuclear weapon requires a high concentration of fissionable material of the proper type and enough of it and a way to keep it in place long enough for the chain reaction to produce enough energy to be a bomb. Nuclear reactors are not built with weapons grade material. That is essential. Further, the elaborate process of containment to hold the bomb material in place requires special engineering and that is not in a nuclear reactor. The quantity of material required for a bomb is very very large unless it is highly purified and it is not so purified in nuclear reactors. No mismanaged nuclear plant, no nuclear plant accident of any kind, can cause a massive nuclear explosion like the blast of a nuclear weapon. Nuclear Powered (non-bomb) Explosions: Though a reactor can't explode like a nuclear bomb, the explosions that can occur are extremely dangerous and can spew radioactive materials widely, they are just not nuclear bomb explosions. Usually the explosions allow the radioactive core of reacting material to overheat and the radioactive material from several separate areas may combine and further heat, enhancing the ongoing nuclear chain reactions. It is not possible to go through explanations of the various scenarios, but under the worst conditions, the heated material explodes like a regular bomb and spreads itself over a large area destroying everything nearby. It is not nearly as large as a true nuclear bomb which can level a city. What is does do is spead a lot of radioactive material around. The process does not even have to explode to do that, it can just heat up enough to vaporize radioactive materials that are then released. All of the examples of nuclear reactor disasters fall into the category on non-bomb disasters. All were and will be the type that creates and disperses harmful radioactive material and that is the core of the problem. Final Note: Though no sane design of a nuclear reactor could explode like a nuclear bomb, the process of making the materials the reactor uses is a process that could potentially make weapons grade material. Further, the used fuel can serve as a starting material for bomb making. In that case, it is not the reactor but the treatment of material before or after that can be directed towards a weapon. The subject gets very complicated and this little description could not provide a person with enough information to say they understand it. More reading is recommended.
How did the twin towers got destroyed?
The Government says it was terrorists on planes. I say it was a bomb...
What famous quote did the man who invented the Atom bomb say after the bomb went off?
I am become death, The Shatterer of Worlds. [Quoting from the 2,000-year-old Bhagavad Gita of India at the instant the first test atomic device exploded.]
How much land does an atomic bomb destroy?
depends on too many variables to say. the main variable is the yields of the bombs used.
What did the bomb squad say caused the explosion in Mr Hoo's restaurant in the westing game?
The bomb squad determined that the explosion at Mr. Hoo's restaurant was caused by a faulty gas line and not by a bomb.
What caused the accident on Apollo 13?
We can say that it was a explosion in the oxygen cylinder.
What did Robert oppenheimer say when seeing the bomb?
After witnessing the test explosion of an A. bomb it has been reported that Oppenheimer said 'I am become Shiva, destroyer of worlds."
How is leukemia related to the atom bomb?
Leukemia is type of cancer, some say it is caused by a bomb, it is not for sure though.
Can a nuclear reactor explode as a nuclear bomb?
Highly unlikely if not altogether impossible. In a core meltdown, you might see a steam explosion if the core melts and breaches the containment structure and hits say cooling water. But even a runaway chain reaction in a reactor would not cause a nuclear explosion like a bomb.
What would happen if a terrorist managed to detonate a nuclear bomb in Washington DC?
can't say exactly, but it would depend mostly on the yield and location of the explosion.
Is an atomic bomb biotechnology?
biology An atomic bomb is a result of a fission reaction which is pure physics. However, the results of an atomic bomb explosion releases a tremendous amount of energy including a great amount of radiation which can cause radiation burns and affect genetic material possibly causing mutations. In that sense we can say that atomic bomb technology affects biology and therefore can be called biotechnology.
How do you say blast in french?
Explosion
What is a catchy title for the atomic bomb?
The A-Bomb and Atom Bomb, those are cool to say.
What is in a bomb?
It depends on the bomb ("bomb" is a very vague term), but we can generally say "something explosive."
Is slipknot the bomb?
slipknot is the bomb don't listen to people who say they are gay because they are the the bomb
How do you say explosion in Russian?
взрыв i believe
