Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

2116 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of the atomic bomb on the world

Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man would have to be the atomic bomb.

The reason why the atomic bomb is so destructive is that when it is detonated, it has

more than one effect. The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita

Khrushchev said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians for the

Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical effects come from the

atomic bomb’s blast, the atomic bomb’s thermal radiation, and the atomic bomb’s

nuclear radiation.

An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom.

This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy. The

process by which this is done is known as fission. The only two atoms suitable for

fissioning are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (Outlaw

Labs). Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge,

strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released.

These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released.

If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990).

This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways.

The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery

shell. One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The

other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A conventional explosive is packed behind the second subcritical mass. When the fuse is triggered, a conventional explosion causes the second subcritical mass to be propelled at a high velocity into the first subcritical mass. The resulting combination causes the two subcritical masses to become a supercritical mass. When this supercritical mass is obtained, a rapid self-sustained chain reaction is caused (World Book, 1990). This type of atomic bomb was used on

Show More
Related

  • A Closer Look at the Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    history was changed. Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima, and three days later, August 9, 1945, on Nagasaki that ended World War II. Japan had already been a defeated nation from conventional bombs and World War II. Many innocent lives were lost, psychological scars were left on the lives of the bomb survivors, and thus many lives were changed forever. The atomic bombings caused many people to have genetic effects due to the radiation from the bombs. Revisionists have said

    Read More

  • Atomic Bomb Dbq

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    Was The Atomic Bomb The Best Way To End The War? Was it really necessary for the U.S. to use the atomic bomb against Japan to end the war? What even is a atomic bomb? The atomic bomb is a bomb that derives its destructive power from the rapid release of nuclear energy by fission of heavy atomic nuclei, causing damage through heatblast, and radioactivity. The atomic bomb should not have been used to defeat Japan because it immediately killed an estimated 120,000 people, it was racist to only use

    Read More

  • Hiroshima Bombing Cause And Effect Research Paper

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Causes and Effects of the Atomic Blast in Japan The atomic blast in Japan resulting in roughly 192,000 deaths was an act declared by the United States of America due to wanting to end the war in 1945. An average nuclear weapon detonated over a city would instantly destroy everything within a 50 mile radius. Being said that Hiroshima was the first ever city to be struck by an atomic bomb resulting in Japan remaining demolished and costed more than 15 billion to repair the city. The aftermath

    Read More

  • Why Is Hiroshima Necessary

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hiroshima August 1945; The United of States of America decided to unexpectedly drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a result of the atomic bombings it killed 90,000–146,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000–80,000 in Nagasaki. Some Americans reacted with sympathy while others stood against America’s choice to land the bombs in Japan. One famous book that goes by the title of, “Hiroshima.” goes on to give vivid descriptions of the day of the bombing following up years

    Read More

  • What Are The Ethical Effects Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki Unethical

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastating man-made disasters that led to numerous deaths and certainly were not ethical or moral. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing is well known for its destructive effects, it led to many deaths and destroyed the surrounding with the use of an immoral atomic bomb. The bombing was accomplished by the US, which initially took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the name suggests, it was a huge annihilation, leaving all on its way to perish. With an estimated death of

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dropping the Atomic Bomb When looking at the aftermath of the atomic bomb in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima the devastation it caused is evident. The majority of the population in Japan could have never imagined such a catastrophic event. On August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945 massive amounts of lives were changed forever when an atomic bomb fell from the sky and created an explosion as bright as the sun. These two bombs were the first and only accounts of nuclear warfare. (“Atomic Bomb is…”) The impact

    Read More

  • The Unjustified Use of Atomic Bombs on Japan

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    the U.S. retaliated and dropped two atomic bombs called Fat Man and Little Boy on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The U.S. was not justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Japan because of the locations that were bombed, the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, and the lack of previous bomb testing. Firstly, the bombings were unjustified because of the locations where the bombs were dropped. Neither cities were military or naval bases. Hiroshima was “… on a river delta and had been

    Read More

  • Hiroshima Bombing Research Paper

    2408 Words  | 5 Pages

    Only Victim of The Atomic Bomb Japan will never forgotten the day of August 6 and 9 in 1945; we became the only victim by the atomic bombs in the world. When the atomic was dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there was World War II. The decision of dropping the atomic bombs was affected by different backgrounds such as the Manhattan Project, and the Pacific War. At Hiroshima City, the population of Hiroshima was 350,000 when the atomic bomb dropped. Also, the population of Nagasaki was around 250,000

    Read More

  • Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki Justified Essay

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was unleashed on the bustling streets of Hiroshima causing the destruction of hundreds and thousands of lives. Subsequently, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, three days later, adding to the rising death count. The supposed use of these bombs was not to annihilate Japanese but to bring a swift end to the long and disastrous war. Afterward, Japan had surrendered bringing an end to World War II. However, utilizing the bomb prompted the world into the nuclear

    Read More

  • Hiroshima And Nagasaki Justified Essay

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The long lasting effects of the atomic bomb dropped on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified by the United States. The United States had no other choice, or the war would just go on, which would be unfavorable for both the United States and Japan. The first reason why the US’s choice of using Atomic Bombs was justified is that it saved many soldiers’ life. If the war had continued, many more lives on both the United States and Japan’s side would have

    Read More

  • Negative Essay: The Bombings Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had a terrible effect on the people around them, but it the decision to do so was necessary. The Japanese were being very aggressive and the controversial decision had to be made even though the effect was great. The bombs had ended up ending one of the most gruesome wars in history. They potentially saved other lives from being taken. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have drawn many different opinions. Some even

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bombs in Japan

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    On August 6th, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima without any precedent. The explosion viciously destroyed four square miles of the city and killed 90,000 and injured 40,000. (Weber, “Was Hiroshima Necessary?”) Three days later, a second atomic bomb stroked the city of Nagasaki which killed approximately 37,000 people and injured 43,000 (Weber, “Was Hiroshima Necessary?”). These actions of the United States still remain controversial today and the United

    Read More

  • Why the United States dropped the Atomic Bomb

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why the United States dropped the Atomic Bomb The atomic bomb is the subject of much controversy. Since its first detonation in 1945, the entire world has heard the aftershocks of that blast. Issues concerning Nuclear Weapons sparked the Cold War. We also have the atomic bomb to thank for our relative peace in this time due to the fear of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). The effects of the atomic bomb might not have been the exact effects that the United States was looking for when they dropped

    Read More

  • Atomic Bomb Dbq

    1981 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States of America’s use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has spurred much debate concerning the necessity, effectiveness, and morality of the decision since August 1945. After assessing a range of arguments about the importance of the atomic bomb in the termination of the Second World War, it can be concluded that the use of the atomic bomb served as the predominant factor in the end of the Second World War, as its use lowered the morale, industrial resources

    Read More

  • Death Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki Essay

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki On August 6, 1945 the first of two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan by the United States in order to finish World War II. The first one landed over the heavily populated city of Hiroshima. The second bomb was dropped, not only three days later, on August 9, 1945 on another Japanese city called Nagasaki. Both atomic bombs made terrible impacts on the cities they were dropped on. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed beyond belief leaving a trail of dust

    Read More

More about Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Open Document