Nuclear Weapons

A low-order detonation is either incomplete detonation or complete detonation at lower than maximum velocity -OR- leave large ordanance fragments containing explosives and may leave chunks or pieces of exposed explosive; do not move remaining debris

I think it's a couple hundred miles from the impact zone of the nuke. First 500-1000= Vaporized and/or destroyed beyond repair. Anything past that= Kind of like runnof from a rainstorm. It's just like a big shockwave like blast . Total Damge Area= 5000+ ft This is from estimates and a chart I saw in a museum.

Pros for 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

Cons for plutonium:

* very radioactive

* very toxic

* able to reach criticality

The effects of using nuclear bombs include immediate destruction upon detonation, widespread radiation exposure leading to long-term health effects, environmental damage, and potential global political and social ramifications.

Edward Teller is often referred to as the "Father of the Hydrogen Bomb" for his key role in its development as part of the Manhattan Project.

Never.

The first nuclear explosion was on July 16, 1945 in the Journado Del Meurto inside what is now Whitesands Proving Grounds.

It's a general term used to apply to the time following the advent of nuclear technology. It could have begun when the first controlled nuclear chain reaction took place, or when the first nuclear bomb was detonated. That was in the 1940's.

Yes, the first atomic bomb, detonated at the Trinity site on July 16, 1945, released a significant amount of radiation and radioactivity contamination. Ground zero at the Trinity site today is still radioactive and you will receive about twice the average daily exposure during a one hour visit to the site. While it is true that isotopes such as U-235, U-238, and Pu-239 are radioactive for billions of years, they're not the isotopes that you need to worry about. U-238 has a half life of one billion years. It is typically accepted that after 10 half lives, all of the radioactive material has decayed. A half life is the time necessary for half of the material to decay, by giving off radiation, into another isotope. This new isotope may be stable and therefore not give off any more radiation or it may be unstable (radioactive) and decay into yet another isotope. This will continue until a stable isotope results. Consider two different materials, one with a half life of one year and the other with a half life of one billion years. In one year, half of the material with the one year half life will have given off radiation. However, in that same year, only 1/100000000th of the material with the one billion year half life will have given off radiation. The longer the half life, the "less" radioactive a material is. In the over 60 years since the first atomic bomb was exploded, most of the dangerous short lived (short half life) material has already decayed into stable isotopes. This, combined with the removal of some of the top soil, has resulted in a radiation level that is only a little above the natural background level.

A uranium bomb is a kind of fission bomb. A fission bomb uses a conventional chemical explosive to create a supercritical mass of certain metals that have unstable nuclei (like Uranium 235 or Plutonium 239). It usually does this by "imploding" a sub-critical mass of the metal and crushing it to such a density that it becomes supercritical (the critical mass is smaller when density is higher). When a supercritical mass is of the metal is achieved, neutrons start a chain reaction that splits the atoms in the metal releasing large amounts of energy and several additional neutrons that will in turn split more atoms, and so on, with more and more energy being released until the bomb finally blows itself apart.

The other main type of nuclear weapon is the fusion bomb. Commonly called the H-bomb, the hydrogen bomb, or the thermonuclear bomb, the fusion bomb relies on the fusion of light isotopes (the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium) to create a large amount of its energy. This is different from fission bombs, that release energy but 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 tritium) to such a degree that fusion can finally occur. The light isotopes fuse and some mass it converted in to huge amounts of energy. A large number of fast neutrons are also produced. If the casing of the bomb or the metal shell of the secondary are made of uranium of a similar fissionable metal, these neutrons will fission the metal producing even more energy. This important technique can yield up to 90% of the total yield in thermonuclear designs that use it, even though the weapon's size and weight remain unaffected. The only other effect is a disproportionate increase in fallout. As a result, this has become the most common type of thermonuclear weapon design in use.

It is possible to add additional fusion stages, (which has been done in practice), and any number of additional ever-larger stages is possible. Thus, theoretically, a fusion bomb of unlimited size can be build. While most nuclear weapons existing today are fusion designs, most of them are no larger than the largest fission bomb (500kt), since military needs actually favor smaller weapons over big yields.

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. It used non-fissionable tampers and generated almost all (97%) of its yield from fusion. The largest fission bomb tested (Ivy King) 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.

Edward Teller once proposed building multistage hydrogen bombs with gigaton range yields, but calculations showed that most of the blast would simply be directed upward blowing the top of the atmosphere above the explosion off into space with only a fraction of the yield producing damage to the target below. The military had no interest in that and rejected his proposal.

[It should be noted that modern fission bombs, including the primaries in thermonuclear weapons, incorporate a minor thermonuclear effect called "boosting." This involves placing a small amount of fusionable material (usually deuterium and tritium gases) into the core of the bomb. During the initial detonation of the bomb, these elements fuse under heat and pressure releasing a burst of neutrons. This functions like a second, more powerful, neutron initiator, contributing many neutrons to start multiple chain reactions at once and promoting very swift, efficient, and complete fission of the fissile material. The fission yield is greatly increased as a result. The contribution of fusion itself to the yield is negligible, however, and these weapons are not "thermonuclear," "hydrogen" or "fusion" bombs in the usual sense.]

Assuming that your question pertains to the explosive force of a nuclear weapon, very. The largest nuke ever built, the Russian Czar Bomb, had a force equivalent to 50 million tons of TNT detonating. This bomb was so large it could give severe burns to all of west Germany!

== Israel has over 1000 nukes == Israel has not been confirmed to have any nuclear weapons at all. However, defense experts postulate Israel has 50-60 tactical warheads and bombs. Most of these were "home-grown" although there are rumors Israel has acquired some from external sources.

The heavier and denser the material the more radiation it absorbs. Alpha is stopped by thin sheets, in fact the skin stops it mostly so it does not penetrate the body. Beta and gamma are best stopped by lead or concrete. Neutrons are more penetrating, they need to be stopped by hydrogenous material. Concrete is effective but needs to be thick. Water itself is a good neutron shield, as are heavy plastics and waxes.

So radiation can travel through light materials and gases (and a vacuum), with the proviso about neutrons as above.

There are two types. the fission nuke, and the fusion nuke( hydrogen bomb.) fission is most common so... in fission, there are explosives outlining either 239plutonium or 235 uranium. Special timers go off, shooting a slow neutron particle at either uranium or plutonium, causing a nuclear chain reaction . Since the U or Pu is already very unstable, the one touch of the neutron decays the atoms, and shoots out unneeded energy along with neutrons, causing the explosives to detonate and explode, along with the radioactive atoms, causing nuclear waste fallout and extreme massive amounts of energy, incinerating anything in the blast's path.

The best way to protect yourself from a nuclear weapon is to seek shelter in a sturdy building or underground facility. It's also important to follow emergency response guidelines provided by local authorities, such as evacuating the area if instructed. Additionally, having a supply of emergency essentials like food, water, and first aid supplies can help in the event of a nuclear attack.

The size and weight of a nuclear bomb can vary depending on its design and yield. Generally, nuclear bombs can range in size from a few feet to tens of feet and can weigh anywhere from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. The most powerful nuclear bombs are typically larger and heavier due to the complexity of their design and the amount of nuclear material they contain.

The primary elements used in the atomic bomb are uranium or plutonium. These elements undergo a process called nuclear fission, where their atoms split apart, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of heat, light, and radiation. This energy is harnessed to create the explosive power of an atomic bomb.

The safest place during a nuclear bomb explosion is underground in a well-built structure, such as a basement or bomb shelter. The goal is to put as much material as possible between yourself and the blast to reduce exposure to radiation. It is important to follow official emergency guidelines and seek shelter as quickly as possible in the event of a nuclear attack.

One takes large atoms and breaks them into smaller atoms--called fission (a-bomb).

The other takes really small atoms and fuses them together to make larger atoms--called fusion (h-bomb).

The intense blast wave from a nuclear detonation is responsible for causing lung damage and ruptured eardrums. The rapid change in air pressure can lead to these injuries by creating a powerful shockwave that propagates outward from the explosion.