whats difference btwn nuclear bomb & atom bomb?

Question

If theres no difference btwn nuclear & atom bomb why they are called by 2 different names?

Answer 1

"Atomic bomb" is an inappropriate term. Nuclear weapons come in two types: fission and fusion. They are called nuclear weapons because the energy released comes from nuclear binding energy in both cases (splitting large nuclei, or fusing small nuclei both release energy).

The term "atomic" bomb comes from the idea that the first ones involved splitting atoms. Technically, they split nuclei and therefore should be called "nuclear" bombs.

Answer 2

A nuclear weapon is a weapon of enormous destructive potential, deriving its energy from nuclear reactions.

Types of weapons

Fission bombs derive their power from nuclear fission, where heavy nuclei (uranium or plutonium) split into lighter elements when bombarded by neutrons (produce more neutrons which bombard other nuclei, triggering a chain reaction). These are historically called atom bombs or A-bombs, though this name isn't precise due to the fact that chemical reactions release energy from atomic bonds and fusion is no less atomic than fission. Despite this possible confusion, the term atom bomb has still been generally accepted to refer specifically to nuclear weapons, and most commonly to pure fission devices.

Fusion bombs are based on nuclear fusion where light nuclei such as hydrogen and helium combine together into heavier elements and release large amounts of energy. Weapons which have a fusion stage are also referred to as hydrogen bombs or H-bombs because of their primary fuel, or thermonuclear weapons because fusion reactions require extremely high temperatures for a chain reaction to occur.

Nuclear weapons are often described as either fission or fusion devices based on the dominant source of the weapon's energy. The distinction between these two types of weapon is blurred by the fact that they are combined in nearly all complex modern weapons: a smaller fission bomb is first used to reach the necessary conditions of high temperature and pressure to allow fusion to occur. On the other hand, a fission device is more efficient when a fusion core first boosts the weapon's energy. Since the distinguishing feature of both fission and fusion weapons is that they release energy from transformations of the atomic nucleus, the best general term for all types of these explosive devices is "nuclear weapon".

Answer 3

Easy to understand. For an example you are Nuclear bomb and your gf is Atom bomb. and both call with different names.

Answer 4

An atom bomb is an atom bomb.
A nuclear bomb is either an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb (thermonuclear, bomb).
Dan the Answers-Man.

Answer 5

I think the general nomenclature is that at atom bomb (used in WWII) is a fission bomb and that the modern 'nuclear' bomb is a hydrogen fusion bomb.

Answer 6

Hydrogen Bomb, also known as H-bomb or thermonuclear bomb, nuclear weapon in which a thermonuclear fusion reaction takes place among heavy isotopes of hydrogen (either deuterium or tritium) to produce an explosion. A hydrogen bomb produces an extremely large explosion, equivalent to millions of tons of TNT (see Trinitrotoluene).

In the fusion reaction in a hydrogen bomb, two atoms of deuterium or tritium collide to produce a helium atom and extra neutrons. The resulting energy is proportional to the difference in mass between the original atoms and the products of the collision. To ignite this fusion reaction, an environment of tremendous heat is needed, comparable in temperature to heat generated by the Sun. This condition is created by using a nuclear fission bomb as a trigger (see Atomic Bomb). The thermonuclear explosion resulting from the fusion creates great heat, enormous shock waves, high winds, and deadly radiation in the form of gamma rays and neutrons that destroys living matter and contaminates soil and water.

on average 20,000,000 tons of TNT worth of bang or 20megaton

Atomic Bomb, powerful explosive nuclear weapon fueled by the splitting, or fission, of the nuclei of specific isotopes of uranium or plutonium in a chain reaction. The strength of the explosion created by an atomic bomb is on the order of the strength of the explosion that would be created by thousands of tons of TNT (see Trinitrotoluene).

An atomic bomb must provide enough mass of plutonium or uranium to reach critical mass, the mass at which the nuclear reactions going on inside the material can make up for the neutrons leaving the material through its outside surface. Usually the plutonium or uranium in a bomb is separated into parts so that critical mass is not reached until the bomb is set to explode. At that point, a set of chemical explosives or some other mechanism drives all the different pieces of uranium or plutonium together to produce a critical mass. After this occurs, there are enough neutrons bouncing around in the material to create a chain reaction of fissions. In the fission reactions, collisions between neutrons and uranium or plutonium atoms cause the atoms to split into pairs of nuclear fragments, releasing energy and more neutrons. Once the reactions begin, the neutrons released by each reaction hit other atoms and create more fission reactions until all the fissile material is exhausted or scattered.

This process of fission releases enormous energy in the form of extreme heat and a massive shock wave; this is the intense explosion. In addition to its nearly unimaginable destructive force, consisting of pressure waves, flash burns, and high winds, a nuclear explosion also produces deadly radiation in the form of gamma rays and neutrons. The radiation destroys living matter and contaminates soil and water.

on average 10,000 tons of TNT worth of bang or 10 Kilotons.

The average Nuclear device has 2,000 times the power of an atomic one... Pretty scary huh, The two bombs used in Japan were atomic. Nukes (nuclear devises) have never been used in combat, only tests.

Answer 7

Atom bomb uses fission, nuclear bomb uses fussion

Answer 8

The name.

Answer 9

Nuclear- uranium

Atomic- hydrogen

Answer 10

They are the same thing, like a car and an automobile are the same thing. Like a doctor and a physician are the same thing. Like a lawyer and an attorney are the same thing.