2006-12-11 04:19:39 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Assuming the bomb was in the centre of the earth, you would have to accelerate the entire mass of the earth away from this centre, which would end up as a vacant point in space. Assuming an instantaneous explosion, the average speed of the debris would have to be around 25000 miles per hour to escape its own gravity. (The mass will still have a centre of gravity in the same place, so the gravity will act as if the earth was intact). The mass of the earth is approximately 6*10^24Kg. So the energy transferred from the explosion to kinetic energy of the earth would have to be 1/2*6*10^24*11176^2 (as 25000mph=11176metres/second).
This equals 3.7*10^32J
Which equates to 900000000000000 of the largest hydrogen bombs ever built! (The Russians exploded a 50 megaton bomb which was a prototype for a 100 megaton bomb, one megaton hydrogen bomb releases around 4.18*10^15J)
Taking efficiencies into account, the amount would have to be even larger to actually destroy the earth.
But you can say for now it would take AT LEAST a 90 million billion megaton bomb. Or 90000000000000000000000 tons of dynamite if you prefer..........
2006-12-11 05:27:51 · answer #1 · answered by Peter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did this calculation once out of curiosity. I don't remember the answer, but I can help you figure it out on your own. You're basically talking about overcoming the gravitational binding energy of the earth to blow it up so thoroughly that the parts never come back together again - like the Death Star does, for example. Study a little classical mechanics and calculate the gravitational potential self-energy of the earth. Convert it to whatever the relevant unit is for the bomb you're considering - megatons, tons of antimatter, whatever.
Oh yes, and don't worry about terrorists getting any ideas. It's too big of number for present human technology. Besides, they'd destroy Mecca.
2006-12-11 15:23:26 · answer #2 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ah, interesting -
If you drop a fleet of Cobalt bombs down a diamond mine, it will only blow up the regional bit.
I am not an expert of these things, and would wish that huge weopons would stop being manufactured, but.
Although it is beyond our capabilities right now, the thinking goes that to blow the Earth totally apart would require the impact of a very large object. Another planet, say.
Even our own moon would only make for something the size of the Gulf of Mexico.
Anyway, I hate bombs.
May we live in peace & harmony.
Bob.
2006-12-11 12:36:17 · answer #3 · answered by Bob the Boat 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
about 10 billion times the force generated by a modern hydrogen bomb is required to make the earth crumble.
that is to say 10000000000 H-bombs exploding simultaneously at a small radius.
2006-12-11 12:25:54 · answer #4 · answered by Som™ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's Enstien's Nail.
Enstien said that if a nail falled from the moon and hit the earth it will break apart the earth and that is due to the huge amount of energy it would be taking.
suppose the initial velocity is 0, the earth acceleration of gravity is about 9.8, so it would reach the earth with a velocity equal to light velocity which is 300000 km/s, that means its energy will be so enormous
but this still a theory, noone has ever tried it before.
2006-12-11 12:32:25 · answer #5 · answered by sinan salameh 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Teratons. That is, milllions of megatons, or hundreds of thousands of times more powerful than the most powerful H-bomb ever detonated.
Nobody has to worry about terrorists using this information to threaten the people of the world; no weapon of this magnitude is ever likely to be built.
2006-12-11 12:45:36 · answer #6 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Don't think you can have anything big enough against the pull of gravity......maybe all the land will sink but Earth will stilll be one round ball......pulled by gravity.
2006-12-11 12:27:40 · answer #7 · answered by SHIH TZU SAYS 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I apologize if this is an honest question of imagination or curiosity, but in this time of age some question shouldn't be asked on the Internet any more, due to terrorists and want to be terrorists. DO NOT ANSWER this question, or any other question that may deal with mass destruction!! The Internet is used by the terrorists. Don't give them ideas or the know how.
2006-12-11 12:26:56 · answer #8 · answered by Richard M 1 · 0⤊ 5⤋
depends upon how intelligent the person is, who is making that bomb..
more intelligent, smaller the bomb would be..
2006-12-11 12:23:31 · answer #9 · answered by no man 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋