Nuclear Weapons- Two Types! Click the Pictures!!! Don't forget to scroll down AFTER the images to read about Nuclear Weapons.
Nuclear weapon is a weapon that gets its destructive power by turning matter into energy. All nuclear weapons are explosive devices. They are carried in missiles, bombs, artillery shells, mines, or torpedoes. The most powerful nuclear weapons are far more destructive than any conventional (nonnuclear) weapon. A nuclear weapon set off in a large city could kill millions of people. A large nuclear war could devastate Earth’s climate and ability to support life.
Nuclear weapons work through reactions in the nuclei (cores) of atoms. They can be divided into two groups: fission weapons and thermonuclear weapons. Fission weapons are also called atomic bombs. Thermonuclear weapons are also called hydrogen bombs or fusion weapons. Thermonuclear weapons are generally far more powerful than fission weapons.
The only nuclear weapons ever used in combat were among the first ones developed. They were two fission bombs dropped by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, during World War II (1939-1945). The bombs killed from 110,000 to 140,000 people. They also destroyed large areas of both cities. The terrible destruction became a major factor in Japan’s decision to surrender to the United States and its Allies. Japan’s surrender ended the war.
After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union entered a period of intense rivalry called the Cold War. But the deadly risk of nuclear war was so great that neither side actually attacked the other. To avoid the terrible damage that nuclear weapons could cause, many nations have long sought ways to control such weapons and reduce the risk of war.
Nuclear weapons work through reactions in the nuclei (cores) of atoms. They can be divided into two groups: fission weapons and thermonuclear weapons. Fission weapons are also called atomic bombs. Thermonuclear weapons are also called hydrogen bombs or fusion weapons. Thermonuclear weapons are generally far more powerful than fission weapons.
The only nuclear weapons ever used in combat were among the first ones developed. They were two fission bombs dropped by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, during World War II (1939-1945). The bombs killed from 110,000 to 140,000 people. They also destroyed large areas of both cities. The terrible destruction became a major factor in Japan’s decision to surrender to the United States and its Allies. Japan’s surrender ended the war.
After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union entered a period of intense rivalry called the Cold War. But the deadly risk of nuclear war was so great that neither side actually attacked the other. To avoid the terrible damage that nuclear weapons could cause, many nations have long sought ways to control such weapons and reduce the risk of war.
Russia’s nuclear forces, even if carrying out a surprise disarming first strike against the United States with significantly more warheads than allowed under the New START Treaty limit, would have “little to no effects” on the US the ability to retaliate with a significant second strike, according to the Department of Defense.