• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Accomplishments / Is an A-Bomb the Same As an H-Bomb?

Is an A-Bomb the Same As an H-Bomb?

July 28, 2020 by Karen Hill

Not at all. The natural process that powers the atomic bomb, or A-bomb, is the opposite of the process that makes the hydrogen bomb, or H-bomb, work!

In an atomic bomb, energy is produced by splitting uranium atoms. This releases some of the energy that held the atoms together. The process is called fission, which means “splitting apart.”

But hydrogen bombs work by fusion, which means “joining together.” In a hydrogen bomb, enormous amounts of heat cause hydrogen atoms to join together, forming helium atoms. When the hydrogen atoms join together, some of their mass is changed into energy. This is the energy released by the H-bomb.

The only way scientists have found to create enough heat to make atoms in an H-bomb join together is by exploding an atomic bomb. So, a hydrogen bomb contains an atomic bomb. The atomic bomb explodes first, releasing enough heat to set off the hydrogen bomb.

The bombs used during World War II were atomic bombs, but the most powerful weapons today are hydrogen bombs.

Related Facts

  • How did atomic physicists split the atom and When?
  • How Does Uranium Produce Energy and How Does Nuclear Fission Work?
  • The Best 20 Inventions Ever Invented
  • Who Discovered Nuclear Fusion and How does fusing two atomic nuclei into one atom release energy?
  • Why Is Einstein’s Equation E = mc2 Important To Science?
  • How Can Energy Be Recycled To Save Resources Just Like Paper and Plastic?

Filed Under: Accomplishments

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Is Uranium Used in Atomic Bombs?
Next Post: How Does an Electric Eye Work? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy