Hydrogen Bomb versus Atomic
Bomb
Understand the difference between
an atomic bomb and a thermonuclear bomb
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D
A hydrogen bomb and an atomic
bomb are both types of nuclear weapons, but the two devices are very different
from each other.
In a nutshell, an atomic bomb
is a fission device, while a hydrogen bomb uses fission to power a fusion
reaction.
In other words, an atomic
bomb can be used as a trigger for a hydrogen bomb.
Take a look at the definition
of each type of bomb and understand the distinction between them.
ATOMIC BOMB DEFINITION
An
atomic bomb or A-bomb is a nuclear weapon that explodes due to the extreme
energy released by nuclear fission.
For this reason, this type of
bomb is also known as a fission bomb.
The word "atomic"
isn't strictly accurate, since it's just the nucleus of the atom that is
involved in fission (its protons and neutrons), rather than the entire atom or
its electrons.
A material capable of fission
(fissile material) is given supercritical mass, while is the point at which
fission occurs.
This can be achieved by
either compressing sub-critical material using explosives or by shooting one
part of a sub-critical mass into another one.
The fissile material is
enriched uranium or plutonium.
The energy output of the
reaction can range to the equivalent of about a ton of the explosive TNT up to
500 kilotons of TNT.
The bomb also releases
radioactive fission fragments, which result from the heavy nuclei breaking into
smaller ones.
Nuclear fallout mainly
consists of fission fragments.
HYDROGEN BOMB DEFINITION
A
hydrogen bomb or H-bomb is a type of nuclear weapon that explodes from the
intense energy released by nuclear fusion.
Hydrogen bombs may also be
called thermonuclear weapons. The energy results from the fusion of isotopes of
hydrogen -- deuterium and tritium.
A hydrogen bomb relies
on the energy released from a fission reaction to heat and compress the
hydrogen to trigger fusion, which can also generate additional fission
reactions.
In a large
thermonuclear device, about half of the yield of the device comes from fission
of depleted uranium.
The fusion reaction doesn't
really contribute to fallout, but because the reaction is triggered by fission
and causes further fission, H-bombs generate at least as much fallout as atomic
bombs.
Hydrogen bombs can
have much higher yields than atomic bombs, equivalent to megatons of TNT.
The Tsar Bomba, the
largest nuclear weapon ever detonated, was a hydrogen bomb with a 50 megaton
yield.
ATOMIC BOMB VS. HYDROGEN BOMB
Both
types of nuclear weapons release vast quantities of energy from a small amount
of matter and release most of their energy from fission, and produce
radioactive fallout.
The hydrogen bomb has a
potentially higher yield and is a more complicated device to construct.
OTHER TYPES OF NUCLEAR DEVICES
In
addition to atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs, there are other types of nuclear
weapons:
neutron bomb - A neutron bomb, like a hydrogen bomb, is a
thermonuclear weapon. The explosion from a neutron bomb is relatively small,
but a large number of neutrons are released.
While
living organisms are killed by this type of device, less fallout is produced
and physical structures are more likely to remain intact.
salted
bomb - A
salted bomb is a nuclear bomb surrounded by cobalt, gold, other material such
that detonation produces a large amount of long-lived radioactive fallout.
This type of weapon could
potentially serve as a "doomsday weapon", since the fall-out could
eventually gain global distribution.
pure
fusion bomb -
Pure fusion bombs are nuclear weapons that produce a fusion reaction without
the aid of a fission bomb trigger.
This type of bomb would not
release significant radioactive fallout.
electromagnetic
pulse weapon (EMP) -
This is a bomb intended to produce a nuclear electromagnetic pulse, which can
disrupt electronic equipment.
A nuclear device detonated in
the atmosphere emits an electromagnetic pulse spherically.
The
goal of such a weapon is to damage electronics over a wide area.
antimatter
bomb - An
antimatter bomb would release energy from the annihilation reaction that
results when matter and antimatter interact.
Such a device has not been
produced because of the difficulty synthesizing significant quantities of
antimatter.
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