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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 do you survive a Nuclear war?
if you mean how to try survive a real nuclear war it is very hard. not only because of the nuclear radiation but as there would be a lot of looting and crime. If you did stock up on food you would probably be attack by people. but general tips wash everything you eat. don't go outside for too long. wash everything you go outside in. but depending how far away you are you could just be vaporized or melt as the temperatures can rise to over 6000 degrease.
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The novel Pulling Through by Dean Ing includes an appendix describing how to make the various items you will need to try to survive. But whether you will survive or not is another issue.
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.
Ernest Rutherford, in 1919, was the first to split an atom, though it was nitrogen, and thus there was no power generation or explosion. In 1932 Sir John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton were the first to cause a nuclear reaction by the fission of an atom. Enrico Fermi, however was the first to fission uranium, in 1932, though at the time he did not fully appreciate the consequences of this discovery. Otto Robery Frisch and Lise Meitner were the first to realize the potential energy produced by the fission of uranium, however, and in a latter experiment, Frisch proved the theory.
The first person to ever realize its potential as a weapon, though, was the Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, who realized, after experimentation, that the amount of neutrons released by the fission of uranium (two on average) could produce a nuclear chain reaction, which could lead to a massive explosion. Fearing the use of this reaction as a weapon by a facist government, however, Szilard kept his discovery secret, and convinced others to do the same, but the Joliot Curie group published the exact same results, coming to the same conlusion as Szilard.
However, the man who is generaly regarded as the "father of the A-bomb" is J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the Manhattan Project in the United States, which produced the first ever nuclear weapon.
However, H.G. Wells was the first to envision a nuclear weapon driven by nuclear fission, when he wrote of "air dropped 'atomic bombs'" in his 1914 novel, The World Set Free. At the time, Wells did not know of the destructive power the such weapons would one day harness. Leo Szilard latter said that this novel had been the inspiration for his research on nuclear fission.
And he has tested the bomb offensivly in japan
Who invented the nuclear power?
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.
Which is more destructive a nuclear bomb or a hydrogen bomb?
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.
What causes the greatest damage in explosions?
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.
What was the nuclear bomb made of?
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.
What did Dr Oppenheimer say after he invented nuclear weapon?
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."
How much does a nuclear bomb weigh?
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.
What would happen if a nuclear bomb hit?
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.
How much damage in percent does the nuclear bomb do?
Too complex to answer, depends on:
- yield
- burst height/depth
- slant range to burst
- weather
- if subsurface, medium around burst
- type of construction
- etc.
How far can a nuclear bomb travel?
A gravity dropped nuclear bomb could fall several tens of thousands of feet from bomber to detonation. A ballistic missile's warhead could travel tens of thousands of miles from launch site to detonation.
China is not a nuclear free zone. They have many nuclear weapons. Though China has a nuclear policy which states that they are not allowed to produce,fire, or give away these weapons.
Does the Threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace?
It does in a certain regards .if a state ,lets say iran, develops nuclear weapons it effectivly acts as a deterent against aggression from ..well the primary global aggressor ,united states .compromising their abillity to continue an oppressive global dominance agenda.that is why washington is in such fanatical opposition towards irans nuculear energy program.
How big is a nuclear bombs diameter?
Depends on the exact bomb:
- for most of the 1950s most US atomic bombs were 5 feet in diameter as that was the size of a standard bomb bay.
- nuclear artillery shells and missile warheads have been built with diameters as small as 6 inches.
- the Ivy Mike device tested in 1952 was 20 feet in diameter and 80 feet tall.
Basically pick any size you want as required by your application, a nuclear bomb can probably be made in that diameter.
Why was the atomic bomb tested in Nevada?
The atomic bomb was tested in Nevada because of its remote location and sparse population, which minimized the risk of harm to civilians. Additionally, the flat terrain and clear weather conditions in Nevada were ideal for monitoring the effects of the bomb test accurately.
Greatest damage in an explosion?
The greatest damage in an explosion typically occurs at the center of the blast due to the intense pressure wave and heat generated. The shock wave from the explosion can cause structural collapse, shatter glass, and propel debris at high velocities, leading to widespread destruction. The extent of damage also depends on the size and type of the explosive device as well as the surrounding environment.
What is the difference between a hydrogen bomb and a nuclear bomb?
Gunpowder, TNT, C4 plastic explosive, nitroglycerin, etc. all release chemical energy
that has nothing to do with the nuclei of the atoms in the chemicals.
Any 'bomb' that makes an explosion with nuclear energy is a 'nuclear' bomb. The
"Hydrogen Bomb" is one of them.
So far, devices have been built and tested that use the atomic nucleus to make explosions
in two different general ways:
-- "fission" . . . the nuclear energy is released when one heavy nucleus splits into
two or more lighter ones. This device is popularly known as the "Atomic Bomb".
-- "fusion" . . . the nuclear energy is released when two light atomic nuclei join together
to form a single one. This device is popularly known as the "Hydrogen Bomb".
How much does a nuclear bomb weigh today?
Depends on the bomb, ranging from 100s of pounds to tons.
In the 1960s the US had fielded some tactical devices weighing about 50 pounds, but these were recalled in the early 1970s. The actual minimal weight that the US can build is classified Q-Top Secret.
After a nuclear bomb is droped how long does the after affects stay for?
That varies, but as most radioisotopes produced in a typical nuclear blast are short halflife, the area is likely to be safe to reoccupy in a few weeks to months. It gets more complex to predict with many blasts (especially high fallout surface bursts). Radiological surveys should be taken first to identify any radioactive hotspots so they can be marked off as hazard zones.
How big is a nuclear bomb explosion?
The size of a nuclear bomb explosion can vary depending on the yield of the bomb. Nuclear bombs can range from a few kilotons (equal to thousands of tons of TNT) to megatons (equal to millions of tons of TNT) in explosive power. The effects of a nuclear bomb explosion can extend for miles, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.
