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Added types of bombs, subsections and links
A nuclear bomb is a bomb with a nuclear component, that causes an uncontrolled fission reaction releasing massive amounts of thermal and radioactive energy. Nulear weapons come are capable of massive destruction due to the combined effects of the thermal radiation and blast wave created by the detonation. Radiation is actually a by-product of the weapon, not the primary destrutive force.
A nuclear bomb is a bomb where the destructive force of the explosion comes from an uncontrolled nuclear detonation, which releases massive amounts of thermal, and as a byproduct, radioactive energy. Conventional bombs use a chemical reaction as the source of their explosive force.
The following countries are known to posses nuclear weapons.
Nuclear bombs usually have dramatically more destructive power than conventional bombs, where the power of a nuclear bomb is measured in kilotons. One kiloton has the equivalent explosive force of 1,000 tons of [[TNT]].
[[Little Boy]] was the first atomic bomb ever used during warfare. It was developed by the United States during [[World War II]], and was dropped on the Japanese city of [[Hiroshima]] on August 6th, 1945. It had an explosive for of approximately 13 kilotons. Modern U.S. nuclear weapons such as the W88 warhead used on the Trident II missile, has a yield of 475 kilotons.
==Types of Nuclear Weapons==
===Fission Bombs===
Fission bombs are characterized by a type of bomb where the nuclear force comes from a [[fission reaction]]. At it’s simplest, two sub-critical amounts of a fissile material are joined to form a [[critical mass]] which undergoes a spontaneous chain reaction. Bombs such as these usually use isotopes of uranium (uranium-235, uranium-233) or plutonium-239 as the fissile material.
[[Little Boy]] and [[Fat Man]], developed and used in World War II by the United States are examples of fission bombs.
===Fusion Bombs===
Fusion bombs, also known as Thermonuclear bombs, derive their energy from the fusion of atoms, usually either [[deuterium]] or [[tritium]], which are [[isotope|isotopes]] of Hydrogen. Fusion of [[Hydrogen]] to [[Helium]] is the same process which causes our sun and stars to shine.
A thermonuclear detonation is typically started with the ignition of a compression fission bomb, which through a series of steps depending on the particular bomb design, produces temperatures and pressures high enough to ignite the fusion reaction of either the tititum of deuterium at the core of the bomb.
===Dirty Bomb===
A dirty bomb is bomb designed to spread radioactive material through the detonation of conventional explosives. A dirty bomb does not detonate it’s nuclear material during the explosion.
The primary danger posed by a dirty bomb is the residual radioactive material contaminating the area around the blast site. The specific danger posed depends on the radioactive material used in the bomb, which can range from elevated levels of cancer to radiation poisoning.
===Nuclear States===
The following countries are known to possess nuclear weapons.
1. United States
1. United States
==External Links==
==External Links==
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/index.html| GlobalSecurity.org]
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/index.html GlobalSecurity.org]
*[http://www.iaea.org/index.html| International Atomic Energy Agency]
*[http://www.iaea.org/index.html International Atomic Energy Agency]
*[http://www.atomicmuseum.com/ National Atomic Museum]
*[http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/ The Nuclear Weapon Archive]
*[http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-bomb.htm How Stuff Works]