Why an A-bomb makes a mushroom-shaped cloud after the explosion? There should be a cloud but why in such shape

Question

Why an A-bomb makes a mushroom-shaped cloud after the explosion? There should be a cloud surely but why in such shape? (In your answer, technical details can be used since I am well informed with the terminology of the subject.) Thank you.

Answer 1

The toroidal shape you see is not a characteristic of the A-bomb -- it forms after almost any large explosion. You can see the same mushroom shape in photos taken shortly after lots of explosions, to include oil fires, bombs, chemical plants, ships, etc.

It is the result of the ball of hot gases formed in the explosion rising from the point of detonation. As the ball rises, the outer edges cool and slow down, while the hotter middle continues to rise, thus forming a toroidal, roiling cloud that eventually forms the shape of a mushroom.

Answer 2

A mushroom cloud is a distinctive mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke, flame, or debris resulting from a very large explosion. They are most commonly associated with nuclear explosions, but any sufficiently large blast will produce the same sort of effect. Volcano eruptions and impact events can produce natural mushroom clouds.

Answer 3

1. One might assume that after the materials are thrust upward by the initial energy of the bomb, they follow a generally straight path until the upward energy is reduced by and amount enough to allow the materials to expand outwardly, thus giving an appearance of a mushroom.

2. If you are well informed of the subject, why did you ask the question? (just curious, not insulting.)

3. What shape would we call it if there were no mushrooms??

Answer 4

Within the mushroom cloud, hot air rises, and cool air is drawn into the forming cloud through the shaft. The hot air then rotates into a toroid shape.

Answer 5

It's hitting the upper edge within the atmosphere where weather and clouds can reach. Then cloud starts to flatten out into the mushroom shape.

Answer 6

I gonna say it make a mushrrom shape because of the how air circulates.

Hot air rises, cold air falls. So when the rising hot air carrying dust/smoke cools down it falls and what you see is the shape of a mushroom.

Answer 7

All bombs make mushroom shaped clouds. Its just that the "mushroom cloud" has become synonymous with nuclear bombs.

Answer 8

the smoke from a bomb is hot so it starts rising, but then it cools off, so it goes back down while more smoke is rising, the rising smoke sucks the sinking smoke in and keeps repeating itself till there is not enough heat to sustain the motion

Answer 9

Just an FYI: Pyro is correct.

Answer 10

the atoms are colliding with each other