Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons have been detonated more than 2,000 times for testing and demonstrating military power.
Atomic bombs (A-bombs) are a type of weapon of mass destruction whose energy is generated by nuclear fission or fusion reactions. Even the smallest of these bombs has a greater explosive power than any conventional weapon.
How atomic bombs work. (Video: AiTelly).
Atomic bombs utilize the principle of fission to produce energy. Fission occurs when neutrons are fired into an atomic nucleus, releasing a tremendous amount of energy and radiation.
After extensive experimentation, scientists discovered that Uranium-235 and Plutonium are the most suitable elements for achieving fission reactions.
Atomic bombs derive their energy from a chain reaction of fission events; the more reactions that occur, the greater the explosive power. It is estimated that such bombs have an explosive yield equivalent to 30,000 – 300,000 tons of TNT, which can easily obliterate an entire city.
Atomic bombs utilize the principle of fission to produce energy.
Nuclear weapons were first used in the final stages of World War II when the United States Air Force dropped a fission bomb nicknamed “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
Just one day later, the United States dropped a second fission bomb nicknamed “Fat Man” on the city of Nagasaki, Japan. These bombings resulted in approximately 200,000 fatalities, the majority of whom were civilians.