There are many different elements involved in the construction of an atomic bomb, but the elements that actually cause an atomic explosion are either uranium (specifically the U235 isotope) or plutonium.
Plutonium 239
Leo Szilard's primary intended use was in transmutation of elements.
Leo Szilard invented the atomic bomb & reactor in 1933 as an improved means of transmuting elements. His 1934 patent on this invention also made claims for use in explosives or power generation.
Of the two dropped on Japan, one was a Uranium bomb and the other a Plutonium bomb. Both Uranium and Plutonium are elements, and are radioactive. The radioactivity makes these elements suitable as sources of energy, for power generation or explosions.
Franklin Roosevelt- but he died before the atomic bomb was used. Harry Truman was the next president, and ordered the use of the atomic bomb.
the atomic bomb
One thing that was not a major factor in the decision to use the atomic bomb was civilian casualties.
One thing that was not a major factor in the decision to use the atomic bomb was civilian casualties.
Uranium-235 and plutonium-239 were the two radioactive elements chosen for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In general, a fusion bomb (hydrogen bomb) is more powerful than a fission (atomic) bomb. Fusion bombs use an atomic bomb to begin the fusion reaction.
The US dropped the atomic bomb onto Japan on August 1945.
The primary elements used in the atomic bomb are uranium or plutonium. These elements undergo a process called nuclear fission, where their atoms split apart, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of heat, light, and radiation. This energy is harnessed to create the explosive power of an atomic bomb.