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The maximum yield for a nuclear weapon varies depending on the type of weapon and ignition mechanism.
For pure-fission weapons, the most powerful weapon built is the Ivy King, at a yield of approx. 500 Kt, compared with approx. 15kt for Hiroshima or 22kt for Nagasaki. The Ivy King bomb uses a core consisting of some 60 kg of highly enriched uranium. Pure fission weapons are limited in yield by the difficulties in dealing with large critical masses of uranium and/or plutonium. In pure-fission weapons, masses required for a larger yield tend to be disrupted before a chain reaction can spread through them. With a fission weapon the rule is 77grams of weapon grade U235 or 78 grams Pu239 per kiloton of yield. Generally these days fissile uranium or Plutonium is first ignited by compression of Deuterium or Tritium to give a fusion boost. These are called third generation nuclear weapons and their criticality is not dependant on the mass or isotope purity of the fissile material.
Fusion weapons have no theoretical limit, although the mass/yield ratio imposes some practical limits. The highest-yield fusion weapon to have ever been detonated is the Soviet Union's Tsar Bomba, at 57 Mt, about 4500 times Hiroshima. This bomb was originally designed to have about twice that yield, for a weight of approx. 27 metric tonnes. Fusion bombs generally referred to as Hydrogen bombs actually us a tapered chamber called Hohlraum to compress a shock wave in a mass of deuterium and can be scaled upwards as desired to increase the yield.
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What is fusion and fission related to?
Fusion and fission is related to combining (fusion) or splitting (fission) radioactive nuclei, in both cases releasing binding energy (The Strong Atomic Force). Fission is more commonly used in nuclear power plants and A-Bombs, while fusion is more commonly used in H-Bombs and in the Stars.
Is a tomic bomb is an example of fusion or fission or annihilation?
An atomic bomb can be a fission bomb or a fusion bomb. Fusion bombs create more energy but fission bombs leave radioactive material and radiation.
Which is bigger atom bomb or nuclear bomb?
Both words are technically interchangeable, so your question cannot be answered as written. Perhaps you meant which is bigger fission or fusion bomb? Define bigger: size or yield? The biggest bombs ever built in both size and yield have been fusion. But many modern fission bombs are bigger physically than fusion bombs with bigger yield and some fission bombs have bigger yield than some fusion bombs. Confused? It all depends on purpose.
Is it true or false atomic bombs work by atomic fisson?
yes, both true & false. They can work either by fission or some combination of fission & fusion. Most modern nuclear bombs use both fission & fusion to optimize for mission, size, weight, cost, etc. Total yield can vary from 100% fission to more than 95% fusion.
Is fusion energy the same a nuclear energy?
Sort of. Fusion energy is the power of the sun and hydrogen bombs, lots of people would like to use it as a local power source, but so far we've only figured out hot to use fission power in power plants.
What is fusion and fission related to?
Fusion and fission is related to combining (fusion) or splitting (fission) radioactive nuclei, in both cases releasing binding energy (The Strong Atomic Force). Fission is more commonly used in nuclear power plants and A-Bombs, while fusion is more commonly used in H-Bombs and in the Stars.
What are some other things that nuclear weapons are called?
Atomic bombs, A bombs, fission bombsHydrogen bombs, H bombs, fusion bombsBoosted fission bombs, "dial-a-yield" bombsMultistaged fusion bombsClean fusion bombs, reduced fallout fusion bombsSalted fusion bombs, dirty fusion bombs, increased fallout fusion bombsetc.
Is a tomic bomb is an example of fusion or fission or annihilation?
An atomic bomb can be a fission bomb or a fusion bomb. Fusion bombs create more energy but fission bombs leave radioactive material and radiation.
Are atomic bombs different from nuclear bombs?
Both basically are the same, they can be fission or fusion bombs like Uranium,Plutonium and Hydrogen bombs. A general description would be that atomic bombs are fission bombs. Nuclear bombs are fusion bombs. Fusion bombs are more powerful weight for weight
What kind of nuclear reaction does an atomic bomb use?
Fission bombs use fission. Fusion bombs use fusion. Although atomic bomb is usually used for fission bombs, it technically applies equally to either.
Do H-bombs deal with fission?
To some degree. Hydrogen bombs release energy via nuclear fusion, but they use a fission reaction to trigger the fusion.
Was fusion the type of bomb the us used for nagasaki?
The bombs used on Nagasaki and Hiroshima were both fission bombs, not fusion bombs.
What Types of nuclear bombs are there?
fission and the fusion types
Is the nuclear reaction in the sun the same as in nuclear bombs?
In the so-called "hydrogen bomb" or fusion bomb, yes, there is energy released from the same reaction (hydrogen fusing to helium) as in the Sun.However, many if not most atomic bombs are fission bombs that do not involve fusion. In a fission bomb, the nuclei of uranium atoms are split, converting some of their mass to energy.All current fusion bombs include fission reactions to trigger the greater energy release from fusion. But most of the energy in very large fission-fusion bombs comes from a third-stage reaction: the fusion causes an exceptionally powerful fission reaction in a uranium shell around the bomb. This called a Teller-Ulam device or fission-fusion-fission bomb.
Atomic bombs are the result of what nuclear reaction?
fission and/or fusion
What are the benefits of fusion over fission bombs?
higher yield
What were people worried about with hydrogen bombs?
People were/are worried about fusion bombs for the same reasons they were/are worried about fission bombs, except more so because the yield of a fusion bomb is typically much higher than the yield of a fission bomb. So a fusion bomb typically does more of everything a fission bomb does.
