Student Question
What is the difference between a nuclear bomb and an atom bomb?
Quick answer:
An atom bomb is a type of nuclear bomb that specifically uses nuclear fission reactions to release energy, breaking down the nucleus of a radioactive atom like uranium or plutonium. In contrast, the term "nuclear bomb" is broader and includes both atom bombs and hydrogen bombs. Hydrogen bombs use a combination of fission and fusion reactions, with fusion involving the merging of smaller nuclei, such as hydrogen into helium, to release energy.
An atom bomb is a type of nuclear bomb. A nuclear bomb is the most general term for a weapon that utilizes nuclear chemical reactions as its power source. There are two major types of nuclear bombs, atom bombs and hydrogen bombs.
Atom bombs are the original nuclear bombs and exclusively utilize nuclear fission reactions for energy. Fission is the process of the breaking down of the nucleus of a radioactive atom into smaller parts, thus releasing energy. Uranium and plutonium are the classic examples.
Hydrogen bombs utilize a combination of fission and fusion reactions to generate energy. Nuclear fusion is the binding together of two smaller nuclei into a larger one (hydrogen into helium, for example).
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