2006-09-01 11:03:02 · 11 answers · asked by tom science 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
you dont fuse plutonium....the raw element insnt a bomb...
2006-09-01 11:04:35 · answer #1 · answered by jtrigoboff 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its very hard to say.
First of all 50,000 pounds is very unrealistic you only need ~80 lbs for a bomb. The radiation created by 50 tons of Pu will be so strong that is will be next to impossible to work with. Electrons do not work well in high radiation environments so robots are out of the picture.
But assuming you had such a big block of Pu odds are it will blow apart long before all of the Pu could fission. So even though you have 50,000 lbs the explosion would be equivalent to blast of a much smaller bomb. Even when dealing with a 80 lbs you still have problem. That is why a bullet type bomb will not work with Pu.
2006-09-02 00:22:15 · answer #2 · answered by sparrowhawk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, it would be something to video, and put on youtube, that's fer sure...
You're in luck! On 31 October 1961, anticipating this very question, the Russian's exploded a very big bomb of just about this size.
Impressive stats from the article referenced below, along with my commentary.
"The fireball touched the ground, reached nearly as high as the altitude of the release plane, and was seen 1,000 km away."
That's over 600 miles, for those keeping score at home...
"The heat could have caused third degree burns at a distance of 100 km."
So driving for an hour before setting the bomb off wouldn't be enough time to get away.
"The subsequent mushroom cloud was about 60 km high and 30–40 km wide."
And the crater would be about somewhere around the size of Rhode Island.
"Atmospheric focusing caused blast damage up to 1,000 km away."
This is just the wind created from heated air expanding. Which means that an explosion in Washington DC would reach both Montreal, Canada, AND Atlanta, Georgia. AND Indianapolis, Indiana. Most of this area would be able to see the mushroom cloud to, noting the height above.
My advice: Don't try this at home. Go to your friend's house.
2006-09-01 19:51:04 · answer #3 · answered by Polymath 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think its theoretically possible to build a fission device that big. The plutonium couldn't fuse together (meaning adhere, not fuse as in fusion) as fast as the chain reaction would run.
So almost all that plutonium would be wasted.
Incidentally, Tsar Bomba was no where near that big.
2006-09-01 19:41:33 · answer #4 · answered by Ren Hoek 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nothing, plutonium makes a very big boom by bombarding it with neutron particles starting a chain reaction that releases huge amounts of energy.
2006-09-01 18:24:55 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To start with, there isn't that much plutonium on the planet. To end with, you could never get close enough to that much because the radiation would kill you.
2006-09-01 18:31:00 · answer #6 · answered by stevewbcanada 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The globe would blow up
disintregrate and fly out into space. As a ball of hot buring gasses
2006-09-01 18:05:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Booooom!
2006-09-01 18:06:02 · answer #8 · answered by rscanner 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't know but make sure it is 13 Amp
2006-09-01 18:05:02 · answer #9 · answered by Spadesboffin 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the first answer, but shhhhhh don't give them osamas in the middle east any ideas !!!!
2006-09-01 18:21:46 · answer #10 · answered by CC Top 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋