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The secret wartime project that developed the bomb was called by the code name ''the Manhattan project.'' It had nothing to do with Manhattan. Much the development took place at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The town, laboratories, production and test facilities built there for the Manhattan Project became what is today the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The secret wartime project that developed the bomb was called by the code name ''the Manhattan project.'' It had nothing to do with Manhattan. Much the development took place at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The town, laboratories, production and test facilities built there for the Manhattan Project became what is today the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The United States dropped two atomic bombs named [[Little Boy]] and [[Fat Man]] on the Japanese cities of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]], bringing the war between the US and Japan to a swift and decisive end. The morality of the use of the bombs is debated because of a fear of atomic technology, and because of the huge loss of civilian life (140,000 at Hiroshima, 70,000 at Nagasaki). U. S. officials have said that the entire cities were proper military targets, and that because the bombings ended the war so quickly, fewer Japanese civilians were killed than if the bombs had not been used. The US dropped warning leaflets on the cities urging the Japanese to evacuate, but they did not. Since the US used both of these nuclear weapons in 1945 no other country has used the atomic bomb in war. The bombs and subsequent surrender also prevented the annexation of Japan's northern islands by the Soviet Union <ref>http://www.afsc.org/newengland/pesp/DecisionToUseABomb.htm</ref><ref>http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20050902-atom-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-enola.shtml</ref>.  

The United States dropped two atomic bombs named [[Little Boy]] and [[Fat Man]] on the Japanese cities of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]], bringing the war between the US and Japan to a swift and decisive end. The morality of the use of the bombs is debated because of a fear of atomic technology, and because of the huge loss of civilian life (140,000 at Hiroshima, 70,000 at Nagasaki). U. S. officials have said that the entire cities were proper military targets, and that because the bombings ended the war so quickly, fewer Japanese civilians were killed than if the bombs had not been used. The US dropped warning leaflets on the cities urging the Japanese to evacuate, but they did not {{fact}}. Since the US used both of these nuclear weapons in 1945 no other country has used the atomic bomb in war. The bombs and subsequent surrender also prevented the annexation of Japan's northern islands by the Soviet Union <ref>http://www.afsc.org/newengland/pesp/DecisionToUseABomb.htm</ref><ref>http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20050902-atom-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-enola.shtml</ref>.  

The atomic bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were ''fission'' weapons, which detonate with a massive explosion due to the release of the binding energy in within the nucleus of the atom.  Specifically, neutrons in a rapid chain reaction split the nuclei of a heavy chemical element, such as plutonium or uranium, to cause the massive release of energy.

The atomic bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were ''fission'' weapons, which detonate with a massive explosion due to the release of the binding energy in within the nucleus of the atom.  Specifically, neutrons in a rapid chain reaction split the nuclei of a heavy chemical element, such as plutonium or uranium, to cause the massive release of energy.