What happens molecularly when something is nuked?

Question

Do atom bombs break things up at the atomic structure close to the blast? Are things sheared to their smallest possible denominator?

I've heard of things vaporizing when nuked, and I'm trying to understand it better.

Answer 1

When an atomic bomb goes off several things happen. There is the intense heat 30 million degrees Kelvin. There is the shock wave, there is the radiation and there are the sub-atomic particles (neutrons, alpha particles, electrons, etc.) that are released. The energy is so high that bonds break and that's why material at ground zero gets vaporized. Also, there is the high energy radiation (gamma rays) causing radiation burns, mutations, etc. There is also the release of neutrons that can affect atoms and create other radioactive materials. Einsteinium is a radioactive element created from a nuclear explosion.

Answer 2

The intense heat provided by the release of energy of the radioactive material breaks the molecular bonds of items, just as when metal is heated enough to melt or water is heated enough to turn into a gas and evaporate.

Thats laymens terms. I won't try to explain it scientifically.

Answer 3

No it doesnot because nucleus doesnot dissintegrate so easily even due to severe atomic blast. although mutation may occur to cause changes in the nearby elements during such blast but these are not due to physical impact of forces resulting from bomb explosion but due to radiation coming out as consequence of such blasts.