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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
Whats stonger a volcano eruption or a nuclear bomb?
It depends on the size and type of eruption or bomb. Generally, the largest volcanic eruptions release more energy than the most powerful nuclear bombs. Volcanic eruptions can have long-lasting impacts due to the release of ash, gases, and other materials, while nuclear bombs have more immediate destructive effects in a concentrated area.
Which bomb is more dangerous a nuclear bomb or an atomic bomb?
A nuclear bomb and an atomic bomb are virtually synonymous. The two terms are both used to refer to a nuclear weapon. Even Wikipedia agrees. The use of either term as a search argument redirects the answer to the article Nuclear Weapon. A link is provided.
from benjaminmarkiewicz
that dont make any sense a nuclear bombs blow travels 100s of miles and is more powerful cause its the newly invented bomb and the atomic bombs blow travel is under a nuclear bombs travel rate
Which two elements were used to produce the atomic bombs?
The key elements to making fission bombs are: Uranium and Plutonium. The specific isotopes of interest are: Uranium-233, Uranium-235, and Plutonium-239.
But many other elements are needed to make a functional bomb. As a very rough guess, about a quarter of the elements on the periodic table are needed somewhere in the bomb, roughly 23 different elements in total.
What is a heavy element used in nuclear bombs and nuclear energy?
When it comes to heavy elements that are used in weapons and in reactors, uranium and plutonium are both candidates. The first atomic bombs were made of uranium, and they are now pretty much made of plutonium. Some special nuclear reactors are powered by plutonium fuel, but most reactors for power generation use (enriched) uranium for fuel. Links are provided to relevant articles posted by our friends at Wikipedia, where knowledge is free.
How many nuclear bombs are there?
- Russia, about 3100
- US, about 3000
- All other countries with nuclear weapons, less than 1000 total
There is no precise answer. America is supposed to have 5000 ready for use at any time, but there are entire nations who don't disclose complete numbers or don't admit nuclear capability for tactical reasons, so any number spat out for how many there are in the world is nieve and simply not based on the reality of the world's political situation. America for instance could have many more, or many less, as nobody is going to be gambling against them to find out by starting a nuclear war we'll probably never know. Enough to wipe out all life on this planet many times over, and that's just one nation. According to one scource, their are 23,300.
How destructive is today's hydrogen bomb?
The most powerful hydrogen bomb ever built had a 50 megaton yield (USSR "Tsar Bomba" 1961), the most powerful hydrogen bomb ever built by the U.S. had a 20 megaton yield ("dirty" high yield warhead for the Titan ICBM, only tested in reduced yield 9 megaton "clean" version).
The typical hydrogen bomb in stockpile today is only about 100 kiloton to 300 kiloton as it had been demonstrated that yields higher than this really have little practical military value and actually produce less damage than lower total yield in multiple weapons detonated at multiple locations across the target area.
Quite effectively. Or were you referring to mechanism?
"Little Boy" Uranium gun fission bomb (MK-1 design):
- Fusing mechanism is triggered at preset altitude.
- Fuse fires electrical primer in breach of gun.
- Primer ignites bag of smokeless powder.
- Gasses from smokeless powder accelerate Uranium-235 bullet down barrel.
- Uranium-235 bullet enters Uranium-235 target on muzzle of gun, forming supercritical mass.
- Uranium-235 bullet crushes Polonium/Beryllium neutron source, causing a burst of neutrons into supercritical mass.
- Neutrons cause uncontrolled chain reaction in supercritical mass resulting in explosion.
- Dense Uranium-238 tamper jacket (now vaporized) around Uranium-235 target holds back explosion for a short period to make it stronger.
"Fat Man" Plutonium implosion fission bomb (MK-3 design):
- Fusing mechanism is triggered at preset altitude.
- Fuse initiates "x unit", which generates 32 precisely timed detonator firing pulses, to make all 32 detonators fire at the same time.
- Each of 32 detonators detonates a shaped charge "explosive lens".
- Each of 32 explosive lenses focuses spherical expanding detonation wave from its detonator into a spherical contracting detonation wave.
- The 32 spherical contracting detonation waves from the 32 explosive lenses arrive at the surface of a sphere of high power "booster" explosive, which helps the 32 sections merge into a single spherical contracting detonation wave and adds energy to the wave.
- When the detonation wave hits the spherical Uranium-238 tamper it becomes a hydrodynamic shock wave, imploding the tamper.
- When the shock wave hits the Plutonium-239 core it implodes the core assembling a supercritical mass.
- When the shock wave hits the Polonium/Beryllium neutron source in the center of the core it implodes the neutron source, causing a burst of neutrons into supercritical mass.
- Neutrons cause uncontrolled chain reaction in supercritical mass resulting in explosion.
- Dense Uranium-238 tamper (now vaporized) around Plutonium-239 core holds back explosion for a short period to make it stronger.
You need to use a more sophisticated term other than "nuke" to merit a coherent answer. Offhand, it could be anything from getting a revealing image of your teeth, to turning the largest cities on earth into cinders in a heartbeat.
Was it right for the allies to drop the nuclear bomb?
The decision to drop the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II remains a controversial topic. Some believe it was necessary to end the war quickly and save lives, while others argue that the extreme destruction and loss of civilian life were unjustifiable. Ultimately, it is a complex moral question with no clear-cut answer.
What is the cost of a nuclear bomb?
The cost of a nuclear bomb can vary greatly depending on factors such as the country producing it, the complexity of the design, and the quantity being produced. However, estimates suggest that it can range from several hundred million to billions of dollars.
Why is a nuclear weapon more dangerous than any other weapon?
A nuclear weapon can be considered more dangerous than another weapon in several ways.
The blast radius of a hydrogen bomb is much more than that of a nuclear fission device used at the end of World War II. The blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were known to vaporize humans and melt the buildings of the cities. Pools of steel were all that remained. No humans.
The long term effects of the weapon, also known as "fallout" can devastate the land. In other words, it mutates the people, the crops, the animals, and in general, it would be unwise to venture into these contaminated lands for, say 60 years, give or take a decade.
Of course, the nuclear weapons used on Japan released only 7% of the power of the mass. In theory, anti-matter releases 100% of its mass energy when it comes into contact with any other matter. However, CERN, the leading authority on anti-matter production, would take roughly one billion years to produce enough anti-matter to match the energy levels of a Hiroshima-sized blast.
What type of radiation is emitted only during detonation?
None.
All types of radiation emitted by an exploding nuclear device are also emitted under other conditions, including natural conditions.
These types of radiation are: alpha, beta, gamma, neutron, x-rays, IR, visible light, UV, EMP.
Some types of naturally present radiation NOT produced by exploding nuclear devices are: cosmic rays, muon showers, proton.
Where did testing of the atomic bomb take place?
The atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity site in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945.
Who invented the hydrogen bomb?
The hydrogen bomb was invented by a team of American scientists led by Edward Teller. The first successful test of the hydrogen bomb was conducted by the United States in 1952.
whhat is nuclears explosions
Fission explosions occur when a subcritical assembly of fissile material is suddenly reassembled (in about 1ms, using explosives) into a very supercritical assembly, then a burst of neutrons are fired through it. The explosion itself completes in about 1µs.
Fusion explosions are trickier as they need a Fission explosion first to generate x-rays to drive the radiation implosion needed to compress and heat the fusion fuel enough to make fusion ignite (pressure near that at center of sun, temperature about 10 million centigrade) and sustain the fusion burn. Practical fusion bombs use lithium-deuteride as fuel, which requires neutrons from a fissioning "sparkplug" inside the fusion fuel assembly:
- Fission primary
- X-rays cause radiation implosion
- "sparkplug" fissions
- Lithium transmutes to Tritium
- Fusion burns in secondary
- High energy fusion neutrons fission U-238 in tamper (typically gives 90% of yield as well as lots of fallout)
Will you go blind if you watch a nuclear explosion?
Directly watching a nuclear explosion can cause temporary or permanent blindness due to the intense light emitted during the explosion. The light can overwhelm the retina, causing burns and potentially leading to blindness. It is advised to avoid looking directly at a nuclear explosion and seek shelter instead.
What damage can a power surge cause if a 2002 Sebring is plugged in during winter?
Probably not much unless it's a lightning strike. A simple power surge shouldn't do damage since the vehicle is fairly rugged when everything is turned off like that. A lightening direct hit or near direct hit can cause results that are unpredictable. Voltages at that level tend to follow whatever path they like.
Did the Manhattan Project ever successfully detonate a nuclear weapon?
In addition to the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both of which were developed by the Manhattan Project, the team also successfully detonated a bomb during the Trinity test on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico.
(see: http://www.answers.com/topic/manhattan-project)
Which countries have nuclear power?
The countries known to have nuclear weapons are:
United States
Russia
United Kingdom
France
China
India
Pakistan
North Korea
Israel
Germany, Italy, Japan and South Africa have the capability of building nuclear weapons but have not done so.
Canada once had nuclear weapons, but has dismantled its weapons and permanetly deacitvated its nuclear weapons program. So far it is the only country to do so.
What would be the effect of a nuclear bomb?
A nuclear bomb would cause widespread destruction, including loss of life, infrastructure damage, and long-term environmental impact due to radiation. It would also have significant societal and political repercussions, potentially leading to increased tensions and conflicts.
Yes. Any instrument that is prohibited by law for any citizen to have without a license, firearms, switchblade knife, explosives, etc. Almost any object that can cause bodily harm could be construed as a "weapon" if it is used against an individual(s). If a convicted felon was caught with a gun rather than a baseball bat he or she would face stiffer penalties, assuming the bat was not used in a criminal act.
What metallic element is used in nuclear weapons?
Plutonium is the metallic element used in nuclear weapons. It is highly fissile, meaning it can undergo nuclear fission and sustain a chain reaction in a nuclear bomb.
Who was the creator of the nuclear bomb?
The nuclear bomb was created as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II. The team of scientists, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer, successfully developed the first nuclear weapon, which was tested in July 1945 in New Mexico.
How much did the nuclear bomb little boy weigh?
The Little Boy nuclear bomb weighed about 9,700 pounds (4,400 kg).
What are nuclear power plants?
Nuclear power plants are facilities that use nuclear reactions to generate electricity. This is done by creating controlled reactions in the plant's reactor core to produce heat, which is then used to create steam that drives turbines to generate electricity. Nuclear power is considered a low-carbon energy source, but it also comes with concerns about safety, waste disposal, and the potential for accidents.
