HOW DO BOMBS WORK?

Today we are talking about bombs. Yes, the things that go pop and kill thousands of people. The history of bombs started in china in 1221 Lin dynasty army used an explosive device against a Song Dynasty city. Bombs that were made with bamboo tubes started in the 11th century and bombs made of cast iron shells full of explosive gunpowder started in 13th century.

The Mongols used “thunder crash bombs” against Japan. Evidence of this was discovered in an underwater shipwreck off the shore of Japan.

That was a bit of history about tbombs so now I am going to break down the ways that different types of bombs work.

conventional bombs

There are several kinds of conventional bombs, these include: stink bombs, dynamite, petrol bombs, fireworks and smoke bombs  These are the not so serious bombs and here are how they work:

+stink bomb- Lets start with the most harmless of bombs. The stink bomb contains ammonium sulfide, which has a really eggy smell. When it is exposed to air it reacts with moisture which hydrolyzes releasing a mixture of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

+Firework- Yes they are technically a form of explosive so they are classed as a bomb. To get airborne a firework is put into a canon, then the fast burning fuse ignites gunpowder which is packed at the bottom of the firework firing it into the air.

+Dynamite- Invented in 1867 by Alfred Nobel, dynamite was origanlly  nitroglycerin but this was very dangerous to handle and this is where Nobel stepped in. He soaked the nitroglycerin in diatomaceous earth which made it much harder to set off making it safer. Dynamite is formed into sticks that feature a wick and a blasting cap. The wick is lit which creates a small explosion when it reaches the blasting cap. Then the nitroglycerin explodes in a much larger fashion.

+Petrol bomb/Molotov cocktail- This one is quite simple, a glass bottle is filled with a flammable substance such as gasoline or alcohol which then has a source of ignition such as a cloth wick which is held in place by the bottles lid. this is lite and thrown creating a fire.

+Smoke bombs- They use a formula that consist of an oxidizer such as potassium chlorate, KClO_{3, a fuel usually, sugar , and a moderator such as sodium bicarbonate and of course a powdered organic dye. When set a light the dye evaporates and is forced out of the device which condenses in the atmosphere to form a smoke.}

How do nuclear weapons work

There are a few different kinds of nuclear bombs. So lets tart with talking about the two ways that nuclear energy can be released from an atom.

+Nuclear fission The nucleus of an atom is split into two by using a neutron. usually using  the isotopes of Uranium or plutonium.

+ Nuclear fusion Two smaller atoms are brought together to make a larger one.

The Atomic bomb

The Atomic bomb is a weapon of mass destruction that uses the power released from the splitting of atomic nuclei. When a neutron hits the nucleus of an atom of radioactive material it releases two of three more neutrons. Energy is released when they split and this creates a chain reaction by them hitting other radioactive nuclei.

 

The Hydrogen bomb

Hydrogen bombs have a higher destructive power than atomic bombs. They release atomic energy by  the joining of light nuclei at high temperatures to form heavier atoms. Due to the high temperatures required to start a nuclear fusion reaction it is refereed to as a thermonuclear explosion. Normally this process uses the isotopes of hydrogen which fuse together to form Helium atoms.