Nuclear Weapons

A nuclear bomb can cause immediate death and severe injuries from the blast, heat, and radiation. Survivors may experience radiation sickness, burns, and long-term health effects such as cancer. The extent of damage depends on the bomb's size, proximity, and other factors.

The range of a nuclear bomb depends on its size and type. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) carrying nuclear warheads can reach distances of up to thousands of miles. Some ICBMs have a range of over 6,000 miles.

The US has refrained from using nuclear weapons due to the catastrophic human and environmental consequences associated with their use. Additionally, the world community, including the US, has generally upheld international agreements and norms that seek to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.

Well you have to have enough physics and maths knowledge to start a bachelors honors degree in physics at a good university, after that it's up to you. Not everyone is a Oppenheimer or Fermi, as in any field some people are brilliant and lead the way, whilst others follow. But good maths is important.

It is a popular theory that the only animal that survives a nuclear explosion is the common roach, which by the way, considers twinkies to be it's favorite food. The roaches protect the twinkies from danger.

Nuclear missiles have never been used.

The only nuclear weapons ever used were bombs dropped on Hiroshima ('Little Boy' Aug 6, 1945) and Nagasaki ('Fat Man' Aug 9, 1945).

The nuclear bomb is historically significant due to its devastating power, having been used only twice in warfare in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. It also shaped the dynamic of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, leading to arms races and the concept of mutually assured destruction. Additionally, it serves as a deterrent against large-scale conflicts between nuclear-armed nations.

India is estimated to have around 140-150 nuclear warheads in its current arsenal, according to various sources. India's nuclear weapons program is governed by a "no first use" policy, which means they pledge to only use nuclear weapons in retaliation to a nuclear attack.

Nuclear explosive devices have been constructed in sizes from as small as 6 inches in diameter to as large as 80 feet tall by 20 feet in diameter. In other words, they can be nearly any size.

In the United States, nuclear power accounts for about 20% of the total electricity generated. It is one of the largest sources of clean energy in the country, providing a reliable and low-carbon energy source.

Applications of plutonium:

• explosive in nuclear weapons

• nuclear fuel in nuclear power reactors

• the isotope 238Pu is used as energy source in spacecrafts or other applications (radioisotope thermoelectric generators); the chemical form is plutonium dioxide.

• neutron generator, as Pu-Be source

Disadvantages of plutonium:

- plutonium is radioactive

- plutonium is toxic

- plutonium is flammable

- plutonium can reach a critical mass

A nuclear bomb is caused by a rapid and uncontrolled chain reaction of nuclear fission or fusion. This occurs when a critical mass of fissile material, such as uranium or plutonium, is brought together to release a massive amount of energy in the form of an explosion.

Enrico Fermi is often credited with creating the first nuclear reactor, known as Chicago Pile-1, in 1942. However, the development of nuclear power as a source of energy involved contributions from many scientists and engineers over time.

A hydrogen bomb (thermonuclear bomb) is more destructive than a regular nuclear bomb (fission bomb). Hydrogen bombs release much larger amounts of energy and have the potential to create significantly more devastation and damage.

The greatest damage in explosions is typically caused by the blast wave. The blast wave is a high-pressure shock wave that radiates outward from the explosion, causing destruction to structures, buildings, and injuring individuals from the force and impact of the explosion.

The first nuclear bombs were fission devices. The fissile materials used are Uranium 235 and Plutonium 239.

Later bombs were thermonuclear or fusion weapons. The material used in some early experimental devices was tritium ( kept liquid at very low temperature). Modern thermonuclear devices use lithium 6 deuteride. Fusion weapons contain a small fission bomb to set them off.

See the Related question for more information.

It is a one of two main types of nuclear weapons. Commonly called the H-bomb, the hydrogen bomb, or the thermonuclear bomb, the fusion bomb relies on the fusion of light isotopes (usually of hydrogen and sometimes helium) to create a large amount of its energy. This is different from fission bombs, that release energy by inducing a neutron chain reaction to split large atoms in metals like Uranium 235 and Plutonium 329. The fusion bomb was invented in the decade after the first nuclear weapons were designed in the early 1940's.

The fusion bombs in use today all rely on a fission bomb first stage (called a "primary") to compress and heat a second fusion stage (called a "secondary"). The second stage has a thick shell of dense metal (which can be a fissionable metal, but need not be) on the outside and is filled with fusion fuel (hydrogen isotopes, or more usually a lithium-hydrogen compound [LiD]). It is usually round. In the center of the fusion fuel is another piece of fissile metal (usually Plutonium 239) called a "spark plug." These two stages are placed inside a case of dense metal, usually shaped like a peanut, with one stage at each end.

When the fission primary goes off, x-ray radiation floods down around the fusion secondary instantly heating its metal shell and causing it to implode inwards as it outer layers explode away. This is called "radiation implosion." As the shell of the secondary implodes, it compresses both the fusion fuel and the "spark plug." The "spark plug" quickly is crushed to such a density that it is supercritical and it fissions and explodes against the fusion fuel which is still being crushed inward by the radiation implosion. The effect is that the fission primary is pushing inward on the secondary while the spark plug (basically another fission bomb) explodes outward--the fusion fuel is caught between. That fuel is heated and compressed (and any lithium transmuted) to such a degree that fusion can finally occur. The lite isotopes fuse and some mass it converted in to huge amounts of energy. A large number of fast neutrons are also produced. If the metal shell of the secondary is made of uranium of thorium of a similar fissionable metal, these neutrons will fission the metal producing even more energy. (This can almost double the yield in designs that use such metals as well as increasing fallout dramatically. It also means that, while such weapons are still called fussion bombs, almost half their yield is actually from fission.)

It is possible to add additional fusion stages. In such a case the secondary would be used to implode a third stage, which could then be used to implode a fourth stage, etc. Any number of additional ever-larger stages is possible. Thus, theoretically, a fusion bomb of unlimited size can be build and three stage weapons as large as 25 MT have been built, and put into service. Such large yield weapons are no longer favored. While most strategic nuclear weapons existing today are fusion designs, most of them are no larger in yield than the largest fission bomb (500kt), since practical military needs actually favor smaller weapons over big ones.

All of the biggest nuclear bombs ever built have been fusion bombs. The largest bomb detonated was a fusion bomb that was equivalent to 50 million tons of TNT. The largest fission bomb tested was only one 100th as powerful, yielding 500 kilotons (half a million tons of TNT), which is still more than 20 times more powerful than the weapon dropped on Nagasaki.

No, a single nuclear bomb does not have the capability to blow up the entire world. However, it can cause massive destruction and loss of life in the targeted area. Multiple nuclear bombs used simultaneously could have catastrophic global consequences.

Oppenheimer did not "invent" nuclear weapons, but directed the team that developed the first nuclear weapons. Witnessing the fireball of the first test detonation in New Mexico, he is reputed to have quoted a line from the Bhagavad Gita - "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

The largest atomic bomb ever built, the Tsar-bomb (Царь-бомба) weighed 27 tonnes, The Soviet Union and the USA both developed "Tactical Nukes" dubbed "Suitcase Nukes." The USA's smallest version weighed 51 pounds (MK-54 SADM). The Soviet version's weight is not released information.

Nuclear weapons with plutonium don't contain TNT.

If a nuclear bomb hit, it would cause catastrophic damage and death to the surrounding area. The bomb sends out a fire ball that destroys buildings and everything in its pathway. It also sends out radiation in the form of gamma rays that is harmful to everything around it. It is unsure the exact damage, because each individual could be exposed to different amounts.