A Look Inside the Atomic Bomb

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

– J. Robert Oppenheimer

The first atomic bomb in the world was created by Doctor J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team in 1945 amidst the climax of the Second World War. Known as the Manhattan Project, the program was founded as a solution to end the conflict as immediately as possible. After years of dedication by the team of scientists, the Trinity Test became successful, becoming the first-ever nuclear detonation in the history of the world. Its impact is undeniable and relevant even to this day; the nuclear arms race and international conflict are but a few examples that were the effects of the influential bomb. However, how did this project come to be? What kind of science was involved in the making of such a weapon that allowed it to work so triumphantly?

In summary, nuclear weapons work by harnessing the energy that is released by the reaction between nuclei, which involves the process of both nuclear fission and fusion. In nuclear fission, atoms’ nuclei split into smaller versions of themselves rapidly, generating energy each time a splitting occurs. On the other hand, nuclear fusion occurs as energy is produced when nuclei combine together into a heavier nucleus. The first nuclear bombs created utilized only nuclear fission, however, as they both broke down atoms to release enough energy to create such an impact. Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239 are but two of a few certain isotopes known as nuclear fuels that are capable of undergoing nuclear fission. In order to reach enough critical mass – the minimum amount of nuclear material required to keep fission going – these isotope pieces need to crash against one another in order to create a chain reaction.

The first two atomic bombs ever created by man were Fat Man and Little Boy, which were released on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, respectively. Fat Man was a round, 10-foot weapon with a plutonium-239 metal sphere contained within that was surrounded by explosive blocks that were intended to implode faultlessly. On the other hand, Little Boy was designed to cause an explosion rather than an implosion that involved launching pieces of uranium-235 against each other to create a fission chain reaction. Both bombs relied on the reaction of radioactive isotopes that are highly fissile (able to go through nuclear fission) to generate implosion and explosion. For clarification, while force acts inwards during an implosion, it moves in the opposite direction outwards as an explosion occurs. Nevertheless, both processes involve immense pressure that creates a huge reaction capable of mass destruction.

Nuclear weapons that have been made recently function a bit differently, however. Instead of colliding multiple pieces of nuclear fuel against each other, modern nuclear bombs set off chemical explosions all around a metal sphere, also known as a pit, that contains the isotopes. This creates an implosion force that compresses and pushes the sphere inwards towards its center, which increases the density of the sphere as atoms join closer with one another. This builds up the critical mass until it is enough to cause a chain reaction of nuclear fission after neutrons are administered inside the sphere. This, as a result, creates an explosion. With the world being in a state of constant conflict right now, it might not be too far in the future before another atomic bomb is fired.

Work Cited

“Designs of Two Bombs.” Atomicarchive.com, 2023, www.atomicarchive.com/history/atomic-bombing/hiroshima/page-2.html#:~:text=Little%20Boy%20triggered%20a%20nuclear,can%20produce%20a%20nuclear%20explosion. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

“How Do Nuclear Weapons Work?” Union of Concerned Scientists, 2023, www.ucsusa.org/resources/how-nuclear-weapons-work#:~:text=Modern%20nuclear%20weapons%20work%20by,pressure%20needed%20to%20ignite%20fusion. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Lewis, Danny. “What’s the Difference between an A-Bomb and an H-Bomb?” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-difference-between-bomb-and-h-bomb-180957726/#:~:text=Although%20the%20atomic%20bombs%20of,either%20uranium%20or%20plutonium%20atoms. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Metcalfe, Tom. “What Was the Manhattan Project?” Scientific American, 21 July 2023, www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-was-the-manhattan-project/#:~:text=The%20Manhattan%20Project%20was%20a,that%20are%20still%20evident%20today. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Stening, Tanner. “Physicist Explains How Titan’s ‘Catastrophic Implosion’ Happened–and What It Meant for Those on Board.” Northeastern Global News, Northeastern Global News, 23 June 2023, news.northeastern.edu/2023/06/23/oceangate-titan-submersible-implosion/#:~:text=How%20is%20it%20different%20from,surface%20due%20to%20water%20pressure. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.