![]() Both bomb types release large quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. Radiation-It includes both initial radiation, produced within a minute of detonation and residual (or delayed) nuclear radiation, which is emitted over a period of time.A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion.Intense heat- It can literally turn human bodies into ashes in an instant.Bright light- It can cause permanent blindness even many kilometres away.Shockwave- A blast or a shock wave that can flatten and obliterate any physical structures in the blast radius.What happens during the explosion of nuclear device? To start fission atleast one thermal neutron from outside is compulsoryĮnergy released per unit mass is high, nearly 7 times more than fission Takes place at very high temperature (107 kelvin)Ĭritical mass of the substances and high speed neutrons Heavy nucleus is divided into two fragments along with few neutrons Lighter nuclei will join together to prouce heavy nucleus The energy released in a hydrogen bomb (or fusion bomb) is much higher than that released in an atom bomb What is the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission? Then, fusion takes place in the hydrogen core and leads to the release of a very large amount of energy in an uncontrolled manner.A hydrogen bomb is always designed to have an inbuilt atom bomb which creates the high temperature and pressure required for fusion when it explodes.It is based on the principle of nuclear fusion.Nuclear fusion is also called as thermonuclear reaction which is possible only at an extremly high temperature and high pressure to push the hydrogen nuclei closer to fuse with each other.The process in which two lighter nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus is termed as 'nuclear fusion'.Robert Oppenheimer is called as the father of atom bomb. Fission bombs on the other hand need closer to 90% enrichment.Most nuclear power plants require an enrichment of 3-4% U-235 to sustain a chain reaction.Uranium ore is enriched in order to increase the concentration of U-235.Naturally occurring uranium, therefore, cannot be used in a weapon, or nuclear power plant s.Uranium enrichment - Approximately 99.3% of naturally occurring uranium is of the isotope U-238, which is not fissionable.Example- Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bomb explosion in 1945.An atom bomb consists of a piece of fissile material whose mass is subcritical.This releases a huge amount of energy in a very small time interval and leads to an explosion.Atom bomb - The atom bomb is based on the principle of uncontrolled chain reaction, in which the number of neutrons and the number of fission reactions multiply in a geometrical progression.If the mass of the fissile material is more than the critical mass, it is termed as supercritical.If the mass of the fissile material is less than the critical mass, it is termed as subcritical. ![]() The minimum mass of a fissile material necessary to sustain the chain reaction is called critical mass.This process of breaking up of a heavier nucleus into 2 smaller nuclei with the release of a large amount of energy and a few neutrons is called 'nuclear fission'.In 1939, German Scientist Otto Hahn and F.Strassman discovered that when a uranium nucleus is bombarded with a neutron, it breaks up into 2 smaller nuclei of comparable mass along with the emission of a few neutrons and energy.The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada, during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. Different isotopes of the same element have the same chemical properties, but very different nuclear properties. ![]()
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