Warfare
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Introduction to Nuclear Weapons
section contents
Introduction
Fission Weapons
Fusion Weapons
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Introduction to Nuclear Weapons
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Nuclear weapons are many times more effective than conventional weapons in destruction
of military targets. Conventional weapons are commonly based on chemical explosives (for example
TNT, trinitrotoluene). These explosives derieve their destructive capability from chemical reactions,
which are to do with electrons orbiting atoms, whereas nuclear weapons
are based on nuclear reactions. The energy required by a nucleus
to keep an electron orbiting it is much less than that contained inside the nucleus itself.
As a result, nuclear-based reactions release more energy than chemical-based reactions.
The United States developed its nuclear weapons from the so-called Manhatten Project, established
during World War II. The Project was a secret operation that took place in isolated
Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Nuclear bombs used by the United States against Japan in World War II killed about
150,000 people instantly, with many others dying soon after due to radiation.
Today many efforts relating to nuclear weapons are with regard to nuclear
non-proliferation. See the Issues section for more information.
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