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Nuclear Weapons
This category is for questions about weapons that use nuclear fission or fusion to gain explosive power.
3,869 Questions
Is silver used in nuclear weapons?
Yes, silver is used in nuclear weapons as a component of specific types of neutron reflectors or reflector coatings. These reflectors help to enhance the effectiveness of the weapon by reflecting neutrons back into the fissile material, increasing the likelihood of fission reactions.
How much can one nuclear bomb destroy?
That depends on too many variables to give a simple answer:
- Yield
- Burst height/depth
- Terrain
- Construction of buildings
- Weather
- If burst is subsurface, material around burst (dirt, rock, concrete, water, etc.)
- etc.
Every type of nuclear bomb is different, as well as the circumstances of its use.
Is U-235 used in nuclear weapons?
Yes. U-235 is one of the two primary fissile materials used in nuclear weapons. The other is Pu-239. They are used as the core for the A-Bomb, and as the primary for the H-Bomb.
No - though it's released as a by-product of nuclear fission (bomb explosions or reactors), it's not used as a primary component in either prior to fission.
What do scientists have to do with the uranium before using in a nuclear bomb?
To use natural uranium in a bomb either of 2 things must be done first, both are expensive and require large infrastructure investment to do them:
- Enrich the uranium from 0.72% uranium-235 (natural) to 93.5% uranium-235 (Oralloy or HEU).
- Process the uranium to turn some of the uranium-238 to plutonium-239 in a reactor then chemicallly separate the plutonium from the rest of the irradiated material chemically.
In WW2 the US did step 1 at Oak Ridge, TN using a gigantic gaseous diffusion enrichment plant and an electromagnetic separation plant; and step 2 at Hanford, WA using several graphite moderated reactors and large chemical separation plants called "canyons".
What was the name of India first nuclear test?
Smiling Buddha, formerly Pokhran-I, was detonated May 18, 1974, at 8:05 AM IST (India Standard Time), with an estimated 8 kt yield.
Why can't nuclear power plants explode like a nuclear bomb?
A nuclear reactor is controlled and operates at exact critical state (no neutron multiplication). If it went out of control and went supercritical (like a bomb), the neutron multiplication factor could only rise a little before a meltdown occurred and the fuel rearranged itself into subcritical form and the reactor shut itself down (meltdowns are good, but expensive to repair). Most reactors operate with low enriched fuel (about 3% to 5% Uranium-235), you need high enriched fuel (at least 20%, typically 93.5% uranium-235) to get the prompt supercriticalstate required in a bomb.
Having said all that, nuclear reactors can have chemicaland pressure pulse explosions, but these are not nuclear explosions. One type of chemical explosion that can occur is a hydrogen gas explosion; this is caused when there is a LOCA and exposed zirconium clad fuel rods overheat, when water splashes thee overheated rods it decomposes into hydrogen and oxygen. Enough hydrogen collects and an electrical spark happen and Boom! This has not happened in commercial reactors. Pressure pulse explosions (like the steam explosion at Chernobyl) happen when there is a sudden energy pulse in the reactor and the coolant can't carry away the heat, resulting in flash vaporization that overpressurizes the cooling system causing pipes and/or tanks to burst.
Nuclear bombs are powerful explosives that release energy through nuclear reactions. They work by splitting atoms in a process known as fission, which creates a massive release of energy. The impact of a nuclear bomb can cause widespread destruction and loss of life.
No. However one of the fission products produced is Iodine-131 and it appears in the fallout. Iodine-131 is a dangerous beta and gamma emitter with a halflife of 8.05 days, it concentrates in the thyroid gland and can selectively kill it or cause cancers in it. Fortunately the halflife is only just over a week, because it then practically disappears in about 5 to 6 weeks. This allows Iodine-131 contaminated food and drink (e.g. fresh milk) to be stored and then safely used when the Iodine-131 has decayed. This also makes it possible to protect the thyroid gland by saturating it with ordinary Iodine (usually as potassium iodide pills) until the Iodine-131 has decayed.
A hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb, is a type of nuclear weapon that releases energy through the fusion of hydrogen isotopes. It is more powerful than atomic bombs, which rely on fission reactions. Hydrogen bombs are capable of causing massive destruction and are considered to be among the most powerful weapons in existence.
What are the means of delivery of nuclear weapons?
The primary means of delivery of nuclear weapons is by missile, either from a land based missile silo, or from a submarine. However, they can also be dropped from planes (like conventional bombs) or smuggled into a target zone as luggage, if security measures are sufficiently lax. Even nuclear artillery shells exist.
Why are nuclear weapons deadly?
- blinding flash of light
- thermal flash that is capable of producing fourth degree burns
- radiation, both prompt and delayed
- blastwave
- firestorm
- winds that can propel broken glass and other debris hundreds of yards
- etc.
The three most important ways of reducing radiation exposure from fallout are seeking shelter in a protected location, minimizing time spent outside in contaminated areas, and using protective gear such as masks or clothing to prevent inhalation or skin contact with radioactive particles.
How can nuclear bombs instantly kill you?
Nuclear bombs release a huge amount of energy in the form of heat, blast waves, and radiation. This can cause instant death through burns, injuries from the blast, and acute radiation sickness. The intense heat and pressure can vaporize human bodies and cause catastrophic damage to organs.
Is atomic bomb and nuclear bomb the same?
No, I don't believe so anyway. You see, an Atomic Bomb has an explosion made of the ripping of atoms whereas a nuclear bomb is either a Fission or Fusion reaction(fission=the splitting of molecules/fusion=the joining of atoms to create molecules)Ex. The sun is a giant nuclear explosion/reaction when the atoms of Uranium molecules separate to make a fission reaction and those same atoms join with other atoms to make a fusion reaction and recreating molecules to procede to the fission stage where the process is redone again and again and... etc.
Fun Fact: Only two atomic bombs have been dropped one on Hiroshima and one on Nagasaki No nuclear bombs have ever been dropped in war.
-Zazzer acc;)
The above is one of the most confused explanations/understandings I have ever seen. For one thing "ripping of atoms" is confused, it really is just a way of saying fission yet its use implies something different from and probably weaker than fission is happening. Molecules are not involved here either, only atomic nuclei (this is a serious confounding of chemical reactions and nuclear reactions, which happen in entirely different parts of atoms and involve about three orders of magnitude difference in energy). Another thing the reaction in the sun does not involve uranium, the sun (as any star) only operates on fusion and at its current stage of life can only fuse hydrogen into helium. There is no such thing as a fission-fusion... and repeat cycle in any star. No star can ever produce elements large enough and heavy enough to fission, only supernova explosions are powerful enough to do that. The two Fission bombs dropped on Japan in the war could equally validly be called Atomic bombs or Nuclear bombs.
Atomic and Nuclear are basically interchangeable terms in this area. Both refer to energy obtained from the binding energy of atomic nuclei.
There are two types of reactions involved:
- Fission - breaking of large heavy atomic nuclei into smaller lighter ones.
- Fusion - combining of small light atomic nuclei into larger heavier ones.
From the 1945 Trinity test through 1951 all atomic/nuclear bombs were Fission bombs. After the 1952 Ivy Mike test, atomic/nuclear bombs could be Fusion bombs. However a Fusion bomb is very complex, needing at minimum:
- A Fission bomb trigger stage to generate x-rays to drive the implosion of the Fusion stage.
- A rod shaped Fission bomb "sparkplug" the length of the Fusion stage to ignite fusion at maximum compression of the Fusion stage.
- A cylindrical Fusion bomb stage.
- A cylindrical metal tamper around the bomb to hold it together for a few extra microseconds, to keep the reaction going and get a good yield. (Note: this tamper is usually made of depleted uranium because of its high density. however a depleted uranium tamper is able to absorb the high energy fusion neutrons and fission, making it responsible for about 90% of the yield and fallout of such bombs.)
Therefor a typical Fusion bomb is really a fission-fission-fusion-fission bomb.
Most modern Fusion bombs improve the efficiency of and miniaturize the fission trigger by using a hollow core deuterium/tritium gas fusion booster design. A Fusion bomb designed this way is really a fission/fusion-fission-fusion-fission bomb.
All currently operating atomic/nuclear reactors are Fission reactors. Work has been going on since the early 1950s to make a Fusion reactor (as it should be cleaner and its fuel is more available), but none has reached "breakeven" (ability to generate enough energy to operate itself) let alone generate enough excess energy to operate as a powerplant.
BTW, the "Fun Fact" is also completely false and confused. Many many atomic bombs have been dropped from airplanes or fired as missile warheads, beginning in 1945 and ending in either 1961 or 1962. The two bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were thee only ones actually used in war.
Please excuse my "micro-thesis" on the subject, but there were so many things needing correction and/or clarification.
The concentration of U235 in the atomic bomb?
The references I have state Oralloy is 93.5% U235. Oralloy (Oak Ridge Alloy) was used in US Uranium atomic bombs as the fissile material. However they also say that any enrichment 20% U235 or higher is fissile and could be used to make a bomb, it would require a higher critical mass to work though. One source I have states that early Soviet Uranium atomic bombs used ~97% U235, but the US felt this level of enrichment to be unnecessary and excessively expensive.
How do nuclear bombs cause cancer?
When a nuclear bomb drops, a conflagration of heat is imposed upon the environment. Along with this immense heat is the radiation emitted from the energy produced due to the splitting of the atom which caused the nuclear explosion. When this occurs, the tiny waves mix with thiophene in the air, which enters into your blood stream through the pulmonary arteries, and activates the cancer sites inherent in your body composition. These cancer sites, which all people are born with, are violently activated and start producing cancer cells at the rate of 10 cells/picosecond. You're practically dead by the time you exhale. Most notably, the late Corey Loeffelman, who used to participate in hometown plays here in Lebanon, suffered from this terrible irradiation after participating in the Alamogordo atomic tests.
Is there classified weapons in US?
Yes, the US government has classified weapons that are not publicly disclosed due to national security concerns. These weapons may include advanced technology and capabilities that are restricted from public knowledge to protect military advantage and operations.
How much land can a nuke blow up?
The land area affected by a nuclear explosion depends on the size of the bomb and the height at which it detonates. For example, a one-megaton nuclear bomb could destroy buildings and cause fires over an area of several square miles, while a larger bomb could cause widespread destruction over tens of square miles. The immediate blast zone, radiation fallout, and thermal effects would all contribute to the overall impact on land.
How many years does it take for nuclear radiation to go away after a nuclear bomb?
Most (>90%) of it will be gone in weeks to months. The remainder can take years to centuries, or longer.
It all depends on isotope halflives.
(Additional reply):
At Hiroshima 95% of the deaths from radiation, by those who survived the blast were by those within 2.5 kilometres of the hypocentre and who remained in that location for the three months following.
Most radiation exposure is within 48 hours of the blast and often arises from dust and soil sucked into the mushroom cloud which then falls as radioactive rain and ash.
To protect oneself one either has to leave the vicinity as quickly as possible without breathing the dust or shelter deep beneath ground.
After three months the exposure would be negligible. Exposure is cumulative so if you avoid the early days, chances of sickness after three months are remote.
Is plutonium in nuclear bombs?
Yes, plutonium is used as a key component in nuclear bombs. It is highly fissile and undergoes nuclear chain reactions to release a large amount of energy when triggered, leading to the explosive power of the bomb.
How is fussion bomb different from a fission bomb?
- Fusion reaction combines isotopes of hydrogen to make helium and release energy. This requires temperatures in the millions of Kelvins to start.
- Fission reaction breaks up isotopes of heavy elements (Uranium & Plutonium) into lighter elements (fission fragments, a major part of fallout) and release energy. This can start a normal temperatures.
Why uranium is used in weapons?
Uranium is used in weapons because it has a high density, making it effective at penetrating armor and causing destruction. Uranium-235, a radioactive isotope of uranium, is also used in nuclear weapons because it is fissile, meaning it can sustain a chain reaction and release a large amount of energy in nuclear reactions.
What is the difference in a nuclear power plant and a nuclear bomb?
A nuclear power plant uses a slow, controlled nuclear chain reaction to heat water and generate electricity.
A nuclear bomb uses a very rapid uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction in order to generate a massive explosion.
Where do countries test nuclear bombs?
In remote isolated places. Most testing (except for a few countries) is now done underground, to prevent fallout.
The US has ceased all physical testing and uses only computer simulated tests.
