if a nuclear bomb hit LA how far would it spread?

Question

If a nuclear bomb hit Los Angeles how far would the blast spread and then how far would the dangerous amounts of radiation spred not including factors like wind and rain and stuff.

say it is the biggest bomb known about

Answer 1

Take a look at this page, it has everything you need in a table towards the bottom.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

It depends . . . the shockwave would probably spread at the speed of sound. I don't know the answer to your question right off, but I think you will enjoy this free book (paper copies are also available; I own one . . . definitely worth the money even if it's just to put on your coffee table) called "Nuclear War Survival Skills" The original was published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Look here:
http://oism.org/nwss/s73p904.htm

Especially check out Chapter 1, which debunks many popular myths about nuclear weapons and the consequences of nuclear war.

This letter from the author explains how the same information can be used to deal with terrorist nuclear threats: http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p905.htm#Message3448

I don't think that was in there when I bought my copy (at least five years ago, I'd say).

Good night!

Answer 4

By tradition, nuclear bomb refers to Hydrogen Bombs which are much more powerful than Atomic Bombs like those dropped on Japan. H-Bombs come in different sizes with multiples of the same size in ICBM warheads A large bomb does the greatest physical destruction - buildings and immediate people - if it is exploded in the air several hundred to several thousand feet above the ground. A small bomb exploded on the ground will make a big hole in the ground and produce more fall out but less damage to structures away from the site. Miles, if you want a simple answer

Answer 5

Nuclear bombs range vastly in their power. A simple fission bomb of trinity test design (plutonium implosion) has a yield of 15 to 20 kilotons. But you also have warhead on nuclear missiles (like the Minuteman) the W87 which are thermonuclear bombs with a yield of 300 kilotons. Even more powerful bombs were designed and tested, the Russians once tested one that was 50 megaton.
So the area and extent of damage would vary to an extreme degree depending on the power of the bomb.

Answer 6

As your first answerer says it would depend on the size.
The Primary blast site (or ground zero), determines the amount of Secondary blast there is. Secondary blast is a wall of compressed air moving out in all directions from Primary. The terrain contour determines how large that can be. Hills and ridges, even a ditch, sitting perpendicular to the Secondary blast have dead spots behind them, where survivability is higher. If someone hides in a ditch and survives. Don't stand up right away. That Secondary blast will hit twice. That wall of air will push outwards until it cannot go any farther then it will return towards Primary, just as viciously as it went outward.
The wind direction and speed determines how far out and direction radioactive dust travels.

Answer 7

LA has spread enough already

Answer 8

Depends on how many megatons it was.