now does a nuclear warhead work?

Question

what creates it to destroy so much and what actually triggers it to explode

Answer 1

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

Answer 2

The basic components in an atomic bomb include the fuel and some sort of detonation device such as TNT. In fission bombs, the fuel is separated into two sub-critical mass parts so the bomb does not explode accidentally. When the bomb is detonated, the two subcritical masses get smashed together to form one supercritical mass. This supercritical mass is then able to sustain a chain reaction. Then a neutron is fired at this mass to start a chain reaction that leads quickly to a gigantic nuclear explosion (the practical effects of E=Mc2 as it were).

Of course, the real bomb has much more things in it such as devices for detonation, antennas for receiving radio signals, etc.

Another way to detonate a nuclear fission bomb is by using an implosion method. An explosion outside of the surface of a regular subcritical mass of uranium235 or other fissionable material causes the explosion shock wave to go inward to the fissionable core which compresses the core to a supercritical mass that will explode.

Fusion is the exact opposite of fission. Instead of splitting an atom, it smashes two together to create an even greater amount of energy.

The first step, or techonological hurdle is to master the enrichment process to get the weapon's grade uranium or plutonium. This involves engineering thousands of centrifuges which spin a gas made from uranium ore, a difficult operation. Then you'd have to learn how to trigger a nuclear explosion and make a device small enough to be carried by an aircraft or missile, neither a small feat. Anyway, good luck.

Answer 3

How about I add on to a previous answer with an explanation of one of the WWII bombs. As mentioned there is much energy in the bonds of an atom. Not many molecules are willing to give up that kind of energy, but some are very unstable and will come apart so violently that they cause those around them to also come apart. This is what we call a chain reaction. Plutonium seems to be the element of choice since one of its isotopes is rather unstable. In one of the WWII bombs, I don't remember which there was a piece of plutonium about the size of a softball, with a small wedge cut out. The small wedge was at the other end of a tube, basically mounted like a bullet. When the bomb reached a preset altitude the piece of plutonium was fired into the rest of the ball, causing "critical mass" to be reached. Critical mass is the point where there is so much of the element, at such an unstable point that its atoms start to come apart. That is when the aforementioned chain reaction started. The size of the plutonium piece will dictate the size of the bomb, unless you do some very fun, and classified things to it. I believe that the bombs in WWII were ~12 kilotons yield, which means that they exploded with the force of 12,000 tons of TNT. Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Simple my friend,Nuclear bombs involve the forces, strong and weak, that hold the nucleus of an atom together, especially atoms with unstable nuclei (see How Nuclear Radiation Works for details). There are two basic ways that nuclear energy can be released from an atom: by nuclear fusion or nuclear fission. moreover, it is simply the reaction of atoms that make a huge explosion on a massive scale. when the army or the gov. pushes the button an atom is released to create a chain reaction inside the bomb whic triggers the other atoms as well.

Answer 5

Two sub-critical masses of uranium are forced together by chemical explosives to form a critical mass. In this critical mass protons shooting off from the uranium strike other atoms of uranium splitting them into 2 or more separate elements and releasing 2 protons from each atom to strike still more atoms of uranium, etc.
This effect, called a chain reaction, snowballs rapidly (millionths of a second) causing the release of energy that we call a nuclear explosion.

Answer 6

E=MC^2
Mass is converted into destructive energy.
They are triggered using conventional explosives, that are set off by timers, altimeters, etc.

Answer 7

You drop it. There is a nuclear reaction.. and BANG THERE GO'S A CITY