What is the Difference Between Hydrogen and Atomic Bomb?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between a hydrogen bomb and an atomic bomb lies in the process through which they derive their energy and the destructive power they possess.
- Atomic Bombs: These bombs are powered solely by nuclear fission, which is the splitting of atoms. They rely on uranium or plutonium and require relatively large amounts of these elements to sustain the fission reaction. Atomic bombs are less powerful and more easily producible than hydrogen bombs.
- Hydrogen Bombs: Also known as thermonuclear bombs, these weapons get their power from a combination of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, which is the binding of atoms. To develop a workable hydrogen bomb, mastering fission is a necessary first step. Hydrogen bombs require uranium or plutonium, as well as two other isotopes of hydrogen, called deuterium and tritium.
Some key differences between hydrogen and atomic bombs include:
- Hydrogen bombs are more advanced and more powerful than atomic bombs.
- Hydrogen bombs can cause a bigger explosion, with a larger reach for shock waves, blast, heat, and radiation.
- Hydrogen bombs are harder to produce but lighter in weight, making them more capable of traveling farther on top of a missile.
Both bombs are extremely lethal and have the power to kill people within seconds, as well as hours later due to radiation. Blasts from both bombs would instantly burn wood structures to the ground, topple big buildings, and render roads unusable.
Comparative Table: Hydrogen vs Atomic Bomb
Here is a table comparing the differences and similarities between hydrogen and atomic bombs:
| Feature | Hydrogen Bomb | Atomic Bomb |
|---|---|---|
| Lethality | Extremely lethal; can cause instant death and radiation-induced injuries | Extremely lethal; can cause instant death and radiation-induced injuries |
| Destructive Power | Causes a larger explosion, with more shock waves, blast, heat, and radiation | Causes a smaller explosion compared to hydrogen bombs |
| Yield | Up to several million kilotons of TNT | Equivalent to about 10,000 kilotons of TNT |
| Production Difficulty | Harder to produce but lighter in weight, allowing them to travel farther on missiles | Easier to produce but heavier than hydrogen bombs |
| Fission vs. Fusion | Works with nuclear fusion, combining atomic nuclei | Works with fission reactions, splitting atoms |
| Fusion Reaction | Uses fusion process, which releases more energy and results in a bigger blast | Uses fission process, which releases less energy compared to fusion |
Both hydrogen and atomic bombs are extremely lethal and have the power to kill people within seconds or hours later due to radiation. However, hydrogen bombs cause a larger explosion, with more shock waves, blast, heat, and radiation, making them more destructive than atomic bombs. Hydrogen bombs also use nuclear fusion, which releases more energy and results in a bigger blast compared to atomic bombs that use fission reactions.
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