Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    survivorboi's Avatar
    survivorboi Posts: 431, Reputation: 9
    Full Member
    		  
    #1

    Aug 30, 2009, 01:51 PM
    Could u-235 be activated by shooting a bullet at it?
    I was reading on fission bombs the other day and it sounds very simple on how to make a nuclear bomb. I just want to know if I'm understanding this or not.

    1. Get a sphere of U-235 and mold U-238 around the sphere to create a tamper.
    2. Shoot a U-235 bullet at the tamper.
    3. Detonates.

    That sounds too simple to be true!
    Curlyben's Avatar
    Curlyben Posts: 18,514, Reputation: 1860
    BossMan
    		  
    #2

    Aug 30, 2009, 02:01 PM
    Very basically yes.
    This is one of the designs they used during WW2, but it produces a very large bomb, in terms of size and mass, for a relatively small detonation.

    The modern method is shaped explosives and enrichment with Plutonium.

    These are known as Gun and Implosion types.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons - good place to start.
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search


Check out some similar questions!

Switch activated LED [ 4 Answers ]

Ok so I have a toggle switch, a 9v battery with harness and wiring(red/black), and an LED... How do I connect the 3 things to have the LED come on and off by the use of the switch? The toggle switch has 3 prongs on the bottom labeled: Power, ACC, and Ground... The LED is 5000amd and...

Bullet Through the Apple [ 3 Answers ]

A 0.5kg apple is placed at the edge of a table, 0.8m above the floor. A 10g bullet is shot at the apple in a direction perpendicular to the table's edge. As the bullet passes through the apple, its speed decreases from 600 to 480m/s. The apple falles off the table. a) Find the apple's speed...

Bullet accuracy [ 2 Answers ]

If I could make a bullet that would spin faster and spin longer while it is out of the barrel would that make a big difference in the accuracy at longer distances.

Frequent activated furnace [ 6 Answers ]

Dear experts: Recently I installed a new gas furnace (carrier 2 stage furnance). However, the furnace kick on and off frequently, i.e. short cycle. It turns on for 5 minutes and then turn off. After 10-15 minutes, it turns on again, and repeat the cycle. Is it normal? If not, how to solve...

Bullet speed ? [ 2 Answers ]

Help me settle a bet. If a man shoots a bullet out of a gun straight up in the air, upon the bullets descent when it returns down and is at the same height as it was initially fired what will its speed be? a) the same speed it left the gun Or b) terminal velocity

View more questions Search