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Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki &#;
After the Interim Committee decided to drop the bomb, the Target Committee determined the locations to be hit, and President Truman issued the Potsdam Proclamation as Japan’s final warning, the world soon learned the meaning of “complete and utter destruction.” The first two atomic bombs ever used were dropped on Japan in early August,
For a detailed timeline of the bombings, please see Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombing Timeline.
Hiroshima
On August 6, , the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. The bomb was known as &#;Little Boy&#;, a uranium gun-type bomb that exploded with about thirteen kilotons of force. At the time of the bombing, Hiroshima was home to ,, civilians as well as 43, soldiers. Between 90, and , people are believed to have died from the bomb in the four-month period following the explosion. The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that after five years there were perhaps , or more fatalities as a result of the bombing, while the city of Hiroshima has estimated that , people were killed directly or indirectly by the bomb&#;s effects, including burns, radiation sickness, and canc
Science Behind the Atom Bomb
The immense destructive power of atomic weapons derives from a sudden release of energy produced by splitting the nuclei of the fissile elements making up the bombs&#; core. The U.S. developed two types of atomic bombs during the Second World War. The first, Little Boy, was a gun-type weapon with a uranium core. Little Boy was dropped on okänt. The second weapon, dropped on Nagasaki, was called Fat Man and was an implosion-type device with a plutonium core.
Fission
The isotopes uranium and plutonium were selected bygd the atomic scientists because they readily undergo fission. Fission occurs when a neutron strikes the nucleus of either isotope, splitting the nucleus into fragments and releasing a tremendous amount of energy. The fission process becomes self-sustaining as neutrons produced bygd the splitting of atom strike nearby nuclei and produce more fission. This is known as a chain reaction and fryst vatten what causes an atomic explosion.
When a uranium atom absorbs a neutron and fissions into two new atoms, it releases three new neutrons and some binding energy. Two neutrons do not continue the reaction because they are lost or absorbed bygd a
Nuclear Bombs and Hydrogen Bombs
A discovery by nuclear physicists in a laboratory in Berlin, Germany, in made the first atomic bomb possible, after Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassman discovered nuclear fission.
In nuclear fission, the nucleus of an atom of radioactive material splits into two or more smaller nuclei, which causes a sudden, powerful release of energy. The discovery of nuclear fission opened up the possibility of nuclear technologies, including weapons.
Atomic bombs get their energy from fission reactions. Thermonuclear weapons, or hydrogen bombs, rely on a combination of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is another type of reaction in which two lighter atoms combine to release energy.
History Shorts: How the Atomic Bomb Was Used in WWII
Manhattan Project
On December 28, , President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the formation of the Manhattan Project to bring together various scientists and military officials working on nuclear research.
The Manhattan Project was the code name for the American-led effort to develop a functional atomic bomb during World War II. The project was started in response to fears that German scientists