How much more powerful are the muclear bombs that we have today vs the ones that were dropped on Japan in WWII

Question

haha muclear -- whoops!

even if i can't spell it, i can still pronounce it

Answer 1

The "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima was 13 Kilotons meaning equivalent to 13 thousand tons of TNT. The "Fat Man" bomb dropped on Nagasaki was 21 Kilotons. As for today's atomic bomb yields, in 1976 the U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to limit the size of tests to 150 kilotons. Before this agreement the US tested its largest nuclear warhead on October 31, 1954. It had a yield equivalent to 15 Megatons or 15 million pounds of TNT. This was a fusion bomb unlike the fission bombs dropped on Japan. I believe it is safe to say we at least have a 15 Megaton bomb in the arsenal and truth be known maybe much much larger. So back to the question today's nuclear bombs are about 714 times more power full. I have personally witnessed a 30 Ton explosion of TNT and I can not even fathom a 15 Megaton blast.

Answer 2

The bombs used in WW2 were atomic bombs, using two different technologies.

The yield of current nuclear weapons is classified, so you can only speculate.

However, in the 1950s, USA & USSR developed thermonuclear bombs, (also known as hydrogen bombs). These weapons use an atomic bomb as a detonator.

The USSR completed the largest atmospheric test, of a bomb known as Tsar Bomba (King of Bombs). It was a scaled down version of a 100 megaton bomb. The yield of the test was 50 - 60 megatons. The fact that it worked meant that the 100 megaton design worked also.

However, weapons of this size are impractical in modern warfare, and if they still exist could only be used for total annihilation of the target.

The USSR also designed a bomb called the Doomsday Bomb (cobalt & iodene i believe? not sure on this) which basically would have poisened the whole world.

Answer 3

Approximately 10 to 20 times powerful than the atomic bombs Enola gay dropped in Japan. Very few we had now, since the signing of an agreement on non proliferation of nuclear treaty (most of the ballistics missiles war head were recycled into power plants as fuel, some sold to terrorist). It was replaced by biological and gas (chemical) weapons, which are considered more deadly than any atomic bombs. No explosions, just release the virus or gas into the air, and wallah, people will starts dying.

Answer 4

To tell you the truth, the nuclear weapons any nation posess are equally powerfull in terms of causing death and destruction. The type of A-bomb and H-bomb doesn't matter, but what really matters is how one uses it. If you drop them at a sky-high level, say above 700 feet above the ground, then the destruction will be massive. If it falles on the direct ground then the loss will less compared than the previous attack. Then it matters if one uses it in space, water and in the mountains or even in the poles. They will have different effects.
But one thing is for certain, no nuclear weapon in this planet is so powerfull that can compare to an Asteroid impact. If one of those rocks hits us, it will be playing the lyre on the mushroom clouds for us.

Answer 5

Nuclear Bombs these days comes in all shapes and sizes.

Countries that own Nuclear Bombs have six different versions of nuclear warheads. This is because to eliminate specific threat. The biggest one can destroy two thirds of USA. The smallest one can destroy a city or two. There are also long range and automated Nuclear Warheads in the space I believe. After the Russian government broke down did anyone took those automated space warheads off the SPACE ??? Probably not. Too much of a risk.

Answer 6

The hydrogen bombs that exist today are incrementally more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japan in WWII. The old bombs worked on the concept of fission. The new bombs work on the concept of fusion. There are other differences, as well. It would be sort of like comparing a small firecracker to a small stack of dynomite.

Answer 7

See "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" were atomic fission bombs. Fission is the splitting of an atomic nucleus. Fission is also what happens inside a nuclear power plant. Splitting an atom is technically simple.
Modern weapons are fusion weapons, well, okay a little combination of both depending upon what they are designed for. It takes are larger amount of energy to fuse atomic nuclei or protons together. Protons are positively charged. All like charges repel. The only thing holding them together inside the nucleus is the strong nuclear force. It takes great energy to manipulate this force. By comparison, gravity is billions of times WEAKER than the nuclear forces.
Anyway, read up on Fat Man & Little Boy or the Manhattan Project. Or names like Fermi, Oppenheimer, and even Einstein. It's his famous equation [E=m*c^2] after all that gives the ratio of conversion of matter into energy.
But, the atomic bombs of WWII were referred to in "kilotonnage" or euqivalent to 1,000s of pounds of TNT. Hydrogen, or thermonuclear bombs are referred to as "megatonnage" devices or equivalent to millions of ton of TNT.

All in all, the forces inside the atom should be used to generate all our energy and power needs, not in weapons that can cause maps of the Earth to need to be redrawn by changing or even obliterating the landscape. But, I am not a politician. I am just a geek, so I have no say in the matter.

Answer 8

The old ones could destroy cities in WWII. The new ones can destroy countries. The picture of Afghanistan becoming a crater is no joke. Its a possibility. There is also enough of those to destroy the world 20 times over right now.

Answer 9

omg... ur sooo true!!

did u know that the british got a letter from the Al Queda, stating, if they would like to join in or become allys so that they could beat the American people and it's cities... for a large amount of money...

Al Queda is planning a nuclear bomb just like what the US did to Hiroshima.... <=(

i dont want that to happen.... cuz i live in america.....

the bristish have not been confirmed yet with there desicion...

but one things for sure that's making me MAD..... the freak'n president just nodded and NOT taking issues....

damn i hate bush!!

He's stupid as hell....

He didn't make America secure before 9/11 struck.... He didn't make the airports better and higly secured from foriegners....

he didn't make a move until the 9/11 struck.... dammn...

freak'n bush...

so maybe on this situation, he wont do nothing until it happens....

but damn HIM!!

I wonder if he heard of this saying,?

"PREVENTION, is better than cure...."

for more info on this, go to www.tntnow.net

Answer 10

First off, the ones in WWII were not nuclear but atomic. This being the case, I'm sure today's nuclear weapons are several times more powerful.