2007-02-05 10:16:43 · 8 answers · asked by maikellysummit 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
The term hydrogen bomb usually refers to a nuclear device. Lighting some hydrogen gas is complete different.
2007-02-05 10:21:07 · answer #1 · answered by dapixelator 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First some corrections of things said above.
An atomic bomb is based only on FISSION of either Uranium 235 or Plutonium 238. Such as the Uranium bomb used on Hiroshima and the Plutonium bomb used on Nagasaki.
a Hydrogen bomb is bases on a FISSION-FUSION-FISSION process. A small Atomic bomb starts the whole thing rolling, then hydrogen is FUSED into Helium, losing mass which creates massive amounts of energy. (E= MC squared) It ends up with a small fission reaction at the end.
Both get their energy release from an ATOMIC reaction which occurs inside the Atom. A simple hydrogen explosion is a CHEMICAL reaction of hydrogen being burned with some oxidizer, such as oxygen, forming water. There is no loss of mass so the energy release is very small compared to a hydrogen bomb.
It is like comparing a firecracker with a daisy cutter.....
2007-02-05 19:26:29 · answer #2 · answered by forgivebutdonotforget911 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes a BIG difference. When people say hydrogen bomb they mean atomic bomb. The atomic bomb is based around the nuclear reactions of atomic hydrogen. A hydrogen atom is simply a nucleus with one electron. It's not a chemical bomb like blowing up a cannister of hydrogen gas would be.
2007-02-05 10:25:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A hydrogen bomb is a fusion reaction related to the tremendous amount of energy released per unit mass when hydrogen under goes fusion.
It's explosive power would be many thousands of times greater than a bomb simply made by lighting hydrogen gas.
So, yes there is a slight difference.
2007-02-05 10:23:54 · answer #4 · answered by bkc99xx 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
H-bombs are just A-bombs wrapped in heavy hydrogen. The nuke detonates, hydrogen fuses to helium, massive amounts of energy released.
Combusting hydrogen gas doesn't fuse hydrogen into helium, it's not hot/pressurized enough. No big boom from flaming hydrogen, sorry.
2007-02-05 11:07:37 · answer #5 · answered by eatmorec11h17no3 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Combustion of hydrogen releases relatively little energy as it bonds with Oxygen to form water.
Nuclear fusion of hydrogen isotopes, in an H-bomb, releases atomic-level energy that is far greater.
2007-02-05 10:22:01 · answer #6 · answered by speakeasy 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, hydrogen bomb doesn't just have hydrogen as a fuel.
2007-02-05 10:22:05 · answer #7 · answered by Take it from Toby 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Never heard of splitting an atom ?
2007-02-05 10:36:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋