Weapons Of Mass Destruction Essay

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WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 2 When someone says weapons of mass destruction, what comes to your mind? Whether it's nuclear bombs, biological weapons, or dangerous chemicals, they can be inimical and formidable to many people all across the world. The thought of what to do if an attack of this nature were to occur can be horrifying. Learning more about these weapons can help to dispel any angst that you have about your personal safety due to these accoutrements possessed by foreign countries. The classification, usage, and effects of these deadly weapons are all essential topics to understand when discussing this subject. There are different types of weapons of mass destruction. They are classified as nuclear, biological, and chemical. Nuclear weapons are defined as devices designed to release energy in an explosive manner as a result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or a combination of the two processes (Cochran, n.d.). Nuclear weapons can also be broken down into smaller categories. These categories are surface bursts, underground, underwater, air, and high-altitude. They are determined mainly by their location and altitude of the explosion. Next, the second classification of weapons of mass destruction is biological. Biological weapons are defined as any of a number of disease-producing agents—such as bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, fungi, toxins, or other biological agents—that may be utilized as weapons against humans, animals, or plants (Schneider, n.d.). Furthermore, they can be placed into smaller groups depending upon the organism or toxin that is being used. Examples of this are bacteria, rickettsiae, viruses, and fungi. Lastly, the third classification of weap... ... middle of paper ... ...sessment that the number of deaths in a well coordinated and designed attack could result in deaths ranging from 130,000 to 3,000,000. Furthermore, with all the bans and parameters in place, the use of a weapon of mass destruction by any country or group of people would be greatly condoned by the rest of the world unless it is under extenuating circumstances. In summation, weapons of mass destruction have been proved to be a very powerful resource throughout the history of the world. Although, it has also proved to be very deadly. There is still so much that we don't know about the fallout and consequences of the usage of these weapons due to the tight restrictions put in place to keep us, as the human race, safer. That is why the classification, usage, and effects of these deadly weapons are all essential topics to understand when discussing this subject.

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