How big of a bomb would it take to blow up earth?

Question

To be specific I am also wondering how damage would a 20 Megaton Nuclear Bomb?

Answer 1

If I'm not mistaken, we've tested a number of 20-megaton nukes before, and the fact that you're able to ask this question means that we've survived that first test. :-)

As for how big of a nuke it would take to blow up Earth, a couple of issues you'll have to deal with first is what to do about all of the debris that will settle after the nuke goes off, because as it floats back down because of gravity, then gravity itself will hold down all of the matter upon Earth. As to what it would take to cause the most damage, I've gotten to thinking since the 2004 tsunami that if a well-placed nuke was right on major fault lines either in the ocean or possibly on land (like maybe on the New Madrid fault), the tectonic action resulting from the force of the nuclear blast would be much more destructive than the bomb itself, because the shifting of tectonic plates would then cause damage at a much greater radius from ground zero in the resulting earthquake than would just blast waves in an atmospheric explosion.

Maybe that doesn't answer your question, but it's the best I can figure as I am neither a physicist nor a geologist. :-)

Answer 2

Our sun is a very large fusion "bomb". When it's fuel is nearly spent and begins to die in a few billion years. It will expand, vaporizing the inner planets before collapsing into a white dwarf. Although we think our sun is large, it is actually a small star but it will be plenty large enough to destroy the earth. Larger stars could become Novas or Super Novas and possibly black holes. A 20 Megaton nuke would do a small country, a few 100 Megaton nukes my do the trick as far as distinguishing life. But there isn't enough hydrogen thermonuclear devices available to totally annihilate earth. We'll just have to wait on the sun to die or a big asteroid or comet to hit us.

Answer 3

I doubt any type of bomb could actually blow up the earth, since most likely the damage would only wipe out the surface of the earth or at the very least the upper strata. The kind of damage you're talking about would probably have to come from a direct hit from a huge asteroid about half the size of the earth to crack the planet open.

Answer 4

the bomb wouldn't have to be that big because if one is droped thenmany will be droped and the world will destroy it'self

Answer 5

50,000 megatons is considered enough to extinction of most life on the planet.

Answer 6

I believe the technical term is: A bloody big one!!!! :)