How it Operates
The basic concept of the atomic weapons is that they create a sudden release of energy when the nuclei of the fissile elements are split. Fission is the process of splitting the nucleus of an atom into smaller particles. Atomic bombs are made up of a fissile element that can undergo a fission nuclear chain reaction. This process begins when a neutron strikes the nucleus of either isotope and therefore splits the nucleus into pieces and releases energy. When more neutrons are produced by the atom that is split, the neutrons strike the nuclei of the other atom and create more fission. This is what leads to an atomic explosion.
Little Boy- The Hiroshima Bomb
This bomb had been approximately three meters long and weighed about four tons. It was named "Little Boy" because of its long, thin shape. Also, the material used to create it was fissile material, or to be more specific, uranium. The two types of bombs involved with uranium were the "gun-barrel type" and the Hiroshima bomb. The first bomb made from uranium reacted when one section of uranium would crash into the other. This leads to a chain reaction that releases a large amount of energy. The Hiroshima bomb's energy is equal to the amount of energy in approximately twenty thousand of TNT. This bomb is believed to have reacted by just ten to thirty-five kilograms of uranium within the bomb.
|
Fat Man- The Nagasaki Bomb
The force of the Nagasaki bomb was more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb and weighed about ten thousand pounds.It also was ten feet and eight inches long. This bomb had caused the Japanese to surrender just days after. Scientists also debated whether a uranium or plutonium bomb would be more effective. The Nagasaki bomb was not a gun-type bomb like the Hiroshima bomb, but the method used was very similar. The force of this bomb is equal to the explosive capacity of about twenty thousand tons of explosives. An area of about 4.6 miles of the city had been damaged.
|