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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
How big of an area would a nuclear bomb destroy?
The size of the area destroyed by a nuclear bomb depends on its yield. A small nuclear bomb with a yield of 1 kiloton could destroy buildings within a few city blocks, while a larger bomb with a yield of 1 megaton could impact several square miles. The damage would also vary based on the bomb's design, height of detonation, and local geography.
Is the nuclear bomb more powerful than the hydrogen bomb?
Nuclear bomb can mean either fission or fusion bomb. Hydrogen bomb means fusion bomb. The fusion bomb can be built with any yield one wants, just by adding more stages with more fuel. The fission bomb has a theoretical maximum yield that cannot be exceeded.
What are the criteria for having nuclear weapons?
As far as I know nuclear weapons have never been traded between countries, so if a country has nuclear weapons it is due to their own science and technology, or to espionage activities to get the required knowledge. The other criterion is not to have signed up to the Non Proliferation Treaty, except for countries that had already developed weapons when the Treaty came into being.
Is the atomic bomb the same thing as the nuclear missile?
No, they are not the same thing. An atomic bomb is a type of nuclear weapon that releases a large amount of energy through nuclear fission or fusion reactions. A nuclear missile, on the other hand, is a missile system that is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to a target.
Why does the hydrogen bomb make a mushroom cloud?
Every explosion happening in an atmosphere makes a mushroom cloud; whether the explosion is a tiny firecracker, a hand grenade, a conventional bomb (e.g. the three explosions shown in the photo above), an atomic bomb, a hydrogen bomb, an explosive volcanic eruption, a meteor exploding in midair due to thermal stresses (e.g. comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 at Jupiter), a meteor impact making a crater, etc. How visible the mushroom cloud is and how long it persists depends on the yield of the explosion (how big it was in terms of energy released). The mushroom shape is simply an effect of buoyancy: hot gasses produced by the explosion are less dense than the surrounding air so they rise with the cap of the mushroom being a toroidal vortex (similar to a smoke ring).
Similar clouds can be observed in the smoke above large fires and water vapor above cooling towers, but usually missing a well defined cap.
Underground salt domes (that contain petroleum and natural gas) result from the same density phenomenon, with less dense salt rising through more dense rock. However here in most cases only the cap remains without the stem.
What are the differences between the test atomic bomb and the real one?
The main difference is test devices often have no casing, but this may not be true as some tests were done with the full operational military bomb (e.g. Crossroads Able in 1946 was a test involving dropping a MK-III bomb identical to Fatman from a B-29 over Bikini Atoll).
Why nuclear weapon is so powerful?
Nuclear weapons obtain their power from two processes:
1- Nuclear Fission: the splitting of a heavy element into lighter elements, releasing vast amounts of energy. Typically called an "Atomic Bomb."
2- Nuclear Fusion: the fusing of very light elements into heavier elements. Even greater amounts of energy is released. Typically referred to as a "Hydrogen Bomb."
Why is a nuclear reactor not able to explode as a bomb?
A nuclear weapon requires highly enriched U-235 or Pu-239, whilst reactors usually don't contain fuel with more than 5 percent fissile material, this is for the vast majority true and for all power reactors. There are some small research ones that may have up to 20 percent U-235 but still not enough for a weapon. The other point is that a weapon requires a critical assembly to be put together in a very short time to get an explosion, whilst in a reactor the fissile material is spread out in an array of fuel assemblies, it could not be suddenly brought together in one mass. The worst that can happen in a reactor is overheating and melting of the fuel, which is a commercial disaster but the reactor design should contain the results in the secondary containment, with only small release of activity outside the plant boundaries. At Chernobyl the design did not have secondary containment, but it's important to realise that the explosion there was due to a surge in steam pressure, not a nuclear explosion, though fuel melting did then occur. That design would never be approved in the US or the EU areas.
How far will a nuclear bomb reach when it explodes?
The range of destruction from a nuclear bomb explosion, including blast effects and radiation, can vary widely depending on the size of the bomb, altitude of detonation, and prevailing weather conditions. However, the immediate blast radius can extend for several miles and the radiation fallout can affect areas several tens of miles from the detonation point.
Nuclear weapons, or "nukes," are made using nuclear fission or fusion reactions. This involves harnessing the energy released by splitting or combining atomic nuclei. The process requires highly enriched uranium or plutonium and sophisticated engineering to create a controlled chain reaction. The final product is a powerful device capable of releasing immense destructive energy.
Does France have nuclear capabilities?
Yes, France has nuclear capabilities. It is one of the few countries in the world with a significant nuclear arsenal, including both nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. France has a long history of nuclear development and maintains a deterrent nuclear force.
Nuclear power will end electricity crisis?
Nuclear power can provide a reliable and constant source of electricity without greenhouse gas emissions, but it comes with challenges such as high upfront costs, long construction timelines, and concerns about safety and waste disposal. While it can help meet energy demands, a mix of various energy sources and improved energy efficiency are also important in addressing electricity crises.
Which types of nuclear detonations create a mushroom cloud?
Both atmospheric and surface nuclear detonations can create mushroom clouds. Atmospheric detonations occur above the Earth's surface, while surface detonations occur at or near the Earth's surface. The characteristic mushroom cloud is formed when the intense heat of the explosion generates an updraft that draws up debris and dust into the atmosphere.
Where did the first nuclear explosion happen?
Trinity was the first test of technology for an atomic weapon. It was conducted by the united states on July 16, 1945, at a location 35 miles (56 km) southeast of socorro, new Mexico on the white sands proving ground, headquartered near Alamogordo.Trinity was a test of an implosion-design plutonium device. Using the same conceptual design, the fat man device was dropped on Nagasaki, japan, on August 9. The Trinity detonation was equivalent to the explosion of around 20 kilotons of TNT and is usually considered the beginning of the atomic age.
The atomic bomb was developed during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project in response to fears that Nazi Germany was developing similar weapons. It was ultimately used by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 in an effort to bring a swift end to the war.
Radioactive particles blown through the air after nuclear explosions?
These radioactive particles are known as radioactive fallout, consisting of dust, soil, and other debris contaminated with radioactive material. Exposure to this fallout can pose significant health risks, including radiation sickness, cancer, and genetic mutations. Protective measures such as sheltering indoors and taking iodine tablets can help minimize exposure.
The atom is the smallest bomb?
Atoms are not bombs themselves. A bomb typically refers to an explosive device designed to release a large amount of energy rapidly, often through a chemical or nuclear reaction. In the context of nuclear weapons, the energy is released through nuclear fission or fusion reactions involving atomic nuclei, not individual atoms.
What is the leading country in nuclear power?
I would say the USA as it has more operating power reactors than any other country, but France is also well up there with a greater proportion of electrical power being nuclear, it is though a much smaller country and industrial economy
How much area can atomic bomb blow up?
Question as written cannot be answered as it depends on very many unspecified variables, the most important being the yield of the bomb which with already tested bombs can vary from as little as 10 tons TNT equivalent to over 50 million tons TNT equivalent.
How are atoms affected by nuclear radiation?
Nuclear radiation can affect atoms in a couple of different ways. It commonly makes them hotter. But also, when the radiation includes neutrons, they can be captured by the atoms around. This can cause those atoms to do a number of things, including:
- Undergoing fission, often releasing more neutrons
- Absorbing the neutron
- undergoing decay other than fission (even if the atom is not radioactive)
- bouncing the neutron off, and getting hot in the process
If the atom absorbs the neutron, its mass number changes, making it a different isotope. This often makes it a radioactive isotope, so it would decay at some later time.
The fact that certain atoms will undergo fission when they are struck by a neutron is what causes nuclear chain reactions used in nuclear power plants.
Read more: How_does_nuclear_radiation_affect_atoms
Is the atomic bomb a nuclear bomb?
Yes, both atomic and nuclear describe what mechanism causes an explosion. It is causes by atoms decaying, or the nucleus being split apart and releasing energy.
More exactly, a nuclear weapon is one which derives its power from energy released by breaking intra-nuclear bonds (i.e. the energy that holds neutrons and protons together inside an atom's nucleus). There are four types (currently) of nuclear weapons:
An atomic bomb is more properly called a fissionweapon, in that it derives power from splitting a heavy element (usually U-238 or P-239) into smaller elements.
A thermonuclear bomb is one that relies on fusion, where lightweight elements (isotopes of Hydrogen) are pushed together. Currently, all such weapons require a small atomic bomb to act as the trigger for the fusion reaction, but the vast majority of their yield is from fusion.
A hybrid weapon, also called a fission-fusion-fission weapon, is a thermonuclear bomb wrapped in a uranium shell to boost the yield by using escaping neutrons from the fusion reaction to ignite the uranium shell's fission.
A boosted atomic weapon is a normal atomic bomb which has gaseous tritium (a hydrogen isotope) injected just prior to detonation. This gas undergoes fusion, increasing the yield of the weapon.
Question incomplete. Pu-241 is formed from Pu-240, the longer the fuel is irradiated in the reactor the more of the higher mass Pu isotopes are formed. This is why to produce weapons grade Pu, which must be mostly Pu-239, the fuel has to be irradiated only for a limited period. Pu-241 is fissile, so could be used in a weapon, but I believe the disadvantage is that it fissions spontaneously which can lower the weapons efficiency. I suggest you (a) complete the question, and (b) put it in the Nuclear Weapons category, possibly also Nuclear Physics, rather than Nuclear Energy which I take to be about civil use of nuclear power.
How do you survive an explosion?
To survive an explosion, try to get as far away from the blast as possible to reduce the impact. Take cover behind sturdy objects to protect yourself from flying debris. After the explosion, call for help and seek medical attention immediately.
What did Einstein have to do with the nuclear bomb?
Einstein did not directly work on the development of the nuclear bomb, but he played a role by signing a letter to President Roosevelt urging the U.S. to research atomic energy before WWII, which eventually led to the Manhattan Project. His famous equation E=mc^2 laid the theoretical groundwork for understanding the energy released in nuclear reactions.
Why are nuclear bomb more hazardous then conventional bomb?
First, the amount of energy released is enormous. The most powerful conventional bomb has a few tons of explosive; 7 tons perhaps. The bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had the equivalent yield of 20,000 tons of TNT. Those were more like prototypes - in the meantimes, bombs with yield of megatons (millions of tons of TNT) have been produced. The highest yield nuclear bomb tested was 52 to 58 megatons (depending on method of measurement).
Also, nuclear bombs have radioactive fallout, which will contaminate the environment.
