Basic Components of Nuclear Weapons
There are three types of nuclear weapons: Uranium Fission, Plutonium Implosion, and Thermonuclear (Hydrogen). Each bomb, although built slightly differently, has tremendous power.
Uranium Fission Bombs work with Uranium-238's unstable nucleus by sending a neutron at the atom. The neutron is just what the nucleus needs to split apart violently, producing three more neutrons to continue the chain reaction. These weapons are built with a gun-like mechanism that force two cylinders together to start the reaction.
Plutonium Implosion bombs were created after the Uranium Bombs because Plutonium is created by blasting Uranium with Deuterium. Before Plutonium was given its name, it was referred to as Element 94. Plutonium Implosion bombs have perfectly symmetrical explosives arranged in a sphere around the Plutonium Core. When the bomb is detonated, the explosives place large amounts of pressure on the Plutonium, causing the Plutonium to combine and eventually explode violently.
Thermonuclear Explosives are the only Nuclear weapon to be tested but not used on civilization. They are far more powerful than Uranium or Plutonium bombs because they use Fusion rather than Fission. Hydrogen atoms are forced together and the Deuterium and Tritium atoms fuse to form another isotope of Hydrogen with another Tritium atom left over.
Uranium Fission Bombs work with Uranium-238's unstable nucleus by sending a neutron at the atom. The neutron is just what the nucleus needs to split apart violently, producing three more neutrons to continue the chain reaction. These weapons are built with a gun-like mechanism that force two cylinders together to start the reaction.
Plutonium Implosion bombs were created after the Uranium Bombs because Plutonium is created by blasting Uranium with Deuterium. Before Plutonium was given its name, it was referred to as Element 94. Plutonium Implosion bombs have perfectly symmetrical explosives arranged in a sphere around the Plutonium Core. When the bomb is detonated, the explosives place large amounts of pressure on the Plutonium, causing the Plutonium to combine and eventually explode violently.
Thermonuclear Explosives are the only Nuclear weapon to be tested but not used on civilization. They are far more powerful than Uranium or Plutonium bombs because they use Fusion rather than Fission. Hydrogen atoms are forced together and the Deuterium and Tritium atoms fuse to form another isotope of Hydrogen with another Tritium atom left over.