Cause of Nuclear Weapons: In 1939 just before the start of World War 2 Albert Einstein and several other scientists told the then president of the USA Franklin D. Roosevelt that Nazi Germany was putting efforts into purifying Uranium 235 which could be used to build an atomic bomb. The United States launched the Manhattan Project shortly after this which was committed to research and production that would produce a viable atomic bomb (Purohit V. 2004 Online “The Atom Bomb: A Brief History”). How a Nuclear Fission Bomb works: For a nuclear fission bomb to work the fuel needs to be kept in two subcritical mass chambers to avoid the premature detonation of the bomb. For the bomb to detonate the two subcritical masses must be brought together to form a supercritical mass, (Fruedenrich C & Fuller J, 2000 Online) this is usually done in two ways, a gun-triggered fission bomb and a implosion triggered fission bomb. The two subcritical masses are two parts of radioactive metal (often Plutonium or Uranium-235) which are held with in a sphere, with in this is a neutron generator to trigger a fission reaction. Neutrons are introduced through the use of the neutron generator; the generator is a pellet of polonium and beryllium-9 separated by a layer of foil within the core of the fissionable fuel. When the foil is broken the two subcritical masses combine and the polonium begins to emit alpha particles. These alpha particles combine with the beryllium-9 to produce beryllium-8 and free neutrons. (Schlumberger Limited, 2009) These free neutrons then are absorbed into the nucleus of the radioactive metal which immediately splits resulting in a smaller atom and the emission of 3 neutrons which again are absorbed into more atoms as it ... ... middle of paper ... ...g/nuke/control/npt/ (Accessed 25 May 2009) New Internationalist – Nuclear Weapon Facts, 2008 (Online) Available at: http://www.newint.org/features/2008/06/01/nuclear-weapons-facts (Accessed 25 May 2009) Nuclear Legacy – The Cold War 2008 (Online) Available at: http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/coldwar/page27.shtml (Accessed 25 May 2009) Pike, J. 2009 Nuclear Weapons Testing (Online) Available at: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/nuke-test-1.htm (Accessed 26 May 2009) US Department of Energy – The Manhattan Project, 2009 (Online) Available at: http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/nagasaki.htm (Accessed 24 May 2009) Works Cited Dickey, N. H. ed. 1986, Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia – Vol 7 COLOR-DALY , Funk & Wagnalls, Inc. USA Dickey, N. H. ed. 1986, Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia – Vol 19 NEWJ- ORTH, Funk & Wagnalls, Inc. USA
The fission of uranium-235 creates neutrons which in an ideal situation bombard other uranium-235 atoms which then divide and...
In a fission reaction, the nucleus of an atom is split. Neutrons are released, forming nuclear energy, and the remaining nuclei are lighter.1 Think of fission a little bit like opening a nutshell, for example, a pistachio. As you put pressure and force into breaking the shell, it breaks in two and pieces may fly off. Similarly, when the atoms are forced apart, they break in two and neutrons fly away and energy is released.
Eric Schollser argues in his paper “Today’s Nuclear Dilemma,” that the nuclear weapons in the world, and the issues that they are associated with, should be of major concern to today’s society. Nuclear Weapons were of world wide concern during the time of the Cold War. These weapons, and their ability to cause colossal devastation, brought nightmares into reality as the threat of nuclear war was a serious and imminent issue. The US and Russia both built up their inventories of these pieces of artillery, along with the rest of their arsenals, in an attempt to overpower the other. This past terror has become a renewed concern because many of the countries with these nuclear weapons in their control have started to update their collections. One
Rhodes, Richard. "The Manhattan Project - A Millennial Transformation." Remembering the Manhattan Project: Perspectives on the Making of the Atomic Bomb and Its Legacy. New Jersey: World Scientific, 2004. 15-38. Print.
In a common reaction in a nuclear reactor a nucleus of U-235 captures a neutron and then undergoes a fission event releasing two or three neutrons of about 14 MeV (Mega electron Volts) energy. A pair of fission products is formed which is accompanied by the release of huge amounts of energy (100 million to several hundred million electron volts of energy).
After World War II the United States and several other nations, including the Soviet Union, continued the development and testing of nuclear weapons. In 1952 and 1953 the United States and the Soviet Union, respectively, detonated the first hydrogen bombs, which proved to be more powerful than the weapons used against Japan. At this time, concerns about the amount and effect of nuclear fallout produced by these weapons grew. In 1955, a group of five countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France and the Soviet Union formed a committee as part of the U.N. Disarmament Commission to discuss the cessation of nuclear weapons testing. The committee made little progress over the next several years due to disagreements ove...
Unknowingly they came to an isolated mountain setting, known as Los Alamos, New Mexico, to design and build the bomb that would end World War 2, but begin serious controversies concerning its sheer power and destruction. I became interested in this topic because of my interest in science and history. It seemed an appropriate topic because I am presently studying World War 2 in my Social Studies Class. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings were always taught to me with some opinion, and I always wanted to know the bomb itself and the unbiased effects! that it had. This I-search was a great opportunity for me to actually fulfill my interest.
As the cold war had brought upon a lot of conflict, it had also had the struggle of the economy from the remnants of the Second World War and the 70’s that had really brought the entire situation down. In the beginning of the nuclear arms race, it was commonly believed that nuclear weapons provided more benefits than the cost was so they justified their somewhat frivolous spending. While the greater explosive power of nuclear weapons may cause them to be cheaper per kiloton, as wholesale of a particular item does in today’s world, this statement proves to be untrue for the arms race and it even hides the actual economic costs of the nuclear weapons. Economic pressure had already been with the United States from the previous years that had left a negative impact before the beginning of the nuclear arms race, and all the millions, billions, and even trillions spent on acc...
Nuclear fission is the process in which a nucleus spits into two or more smaller nuclei. Nuclear reactors use a controlled chain reaction to produce electricity. The rate at which the chain reaction occurs can be controlled by manipulating the amount of non-fissionable material present. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring isotope that undergoes fission. The energy released through nuclear fission is 20 million times more than the energy released burning fossil fuels. The critical mass is the maximum size a sample of uranium ore can reach. If the sample is larger then the critical mass it will start an uncontrolled reaction. 99.3% of uranium ore is made up of uranium-238 and 0.7% is uranium-235.
Throughout the entirety of the twentieth century, the most disputed topic of discussion has perhaps been that of nuclear weapons. Some people argue these weapons of mass destruction are vital to the survival of order and decency in the world, while others contend that nuclear weapons will bring an end to civilization as we now know it. Regardless of both of these arguments, there are two things that just about nobody can deny – nuclear weapons are extremely expensive and enormously destructive.
On August 6, 1945 an American plane, the B-29 “Enola Gay” dropped a uranium atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan instantly killing over 140,000 people. Three days later, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb, this one plutonium, over Nagasaki. The second bomb had a death toll of over 80,000. These two weapons and the atomic arms race that ensued were a direct result of an American secret venture – the Manhattan Project.
Upon entering World War II as a result of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States faced the burden of fighting two dangerous military powers: Germany and Japan. Germany was developing new, secret weapons that could very likely be a potential threat to the United States. It had been reported that German scientists were experimenting with splitting the atom, which would release an enormous amount of energy.1 Whoever was successful with this tactic had the power to control the world. After receiving this information, President Harry Truman went into shock. The United States began atomic research shortly after with the help of physicists Leo Szilard and Albert Einstein.2 This effort was code-named the Manhattan Project, which took place in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The project involved more than half a million people working to design and predict the results of an atomic bomb. After spending two billion dollars, a test called Trinity was cond...
From the creation of nuclear weapons at the start of the Cold War to today, the world has experienced struggles fueled by the want of nuclear power. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Iran’s nuclear weapon program are some of the most important conflicts over nuclear weapons. Thanks to the use of nuclear weapons in 1945 to end World War II, the world has come extremely close to a nuclear war, and more countries have began developing nuclear power. Unmistakably, many conflicts since the start of the Cold War have been caused by nuclear weapons, and there are many more to come.
The devastation brought about by the atomic bomb has caused fear among all the people that have realized the potential destructive power of its invention. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945 completely obliterated both cities (Lanouette 30). “Little Boy,” the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 70,000 people with an additional 66,000 injured (30-39). “Fat Man,” the bomb dropped on Nagasaki also carried its “share of America’s duty” by killing 40,000 people and injuring another 25,000 (30-39). The bombs also killed an estimated 230,000 more people from the after effects of the two explosions (30). The two bombings had opened the world’s eyes to the destructive power that could be unleashed by man.
Nuclear energy is generated by a process called fission. Fission occurs within the reactor of a nuclear power plant when a neutron is fired at an atom of uranium causing it to split and release subsequent neutrons.1 These are able to crash into other uranium atoms causing a chain reaction and releasing a great deal of heat energy.