I'd like to know which one is more devastating and powerful. Also include if you think we have technology that would destroy the whole world with just one bomb.
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About 240 KT. Really.
Most of today's fission bombs are around 10 KT. Most of today's fusion bombs and re-entry vehicles (RV's) are around 250 KT. RVs are those things that pop off ICBMs, FBMs, etc. and contain the physics package that goes boom when within range of the intended target.
The fission bombs are typically tactical weapons. This means a relatively low yield is desirable as friendly troops will likely be in the neighborhood. And we want to avoid collateral damage. The Navy, for example, has fission depth charges to kill enemy subs. And friendly ships would be at risk from larger yields. They are about 9 KT yields. The Army has fission artillery shells that are also about that in yield. Allied troops in the field would be at risk from larger yields here.
The fusion weapons are typically strategic weapons. This means relatively high yields to knock out whole sections of an economy or military presence. In the U.S., the weapons are delivered by independently targetable RVs that are carried, in groups of three, by the strategic missiles. Although 1 MT devices are easily achieved, it can be shown that three RVs at 250 KT have more kill power than 1 MT and they are not as costly or easy to defend against.
In truth all weapons that invoked e = mc^2 to derive their explosive power are atomic bombs. They derive their power from the atom; either splitting it or fusing it. But the first, simple bombs were fission and the news media called them atomic bombs or A-bombs. So that became a kind of the nom de guerre for fission bombs only.
Then after WWII ended along came the H-bomb. To show off America's might, a much ballyhooed test in the Pacific of a primitive fusion bomb was covered by the media once again. This time, some clever reporter, put the words H-bomb into the headlines and that monicker stuck for the fusion bombs. Of course, it's a hydrogen isotope, not hydrogen itself, that is used to fuel the fusion.
Most of today's fission bombs are around 10 KT. Most of today's fusion bombs and re-entry vehicles (RV's) are around 250 KT. RVs are those things that pop off ICBMs, FBMs, etc. and contain the physics package that goes boom when within range of the intended target.
The fission bombs are typically tactical weapons. This means a relatively low yield is desirable as friendly troops will likely be in the neighborhood. And we want to avoid collateral damage. The Navy, for example, has fission depth charges to kill enemy subs. And friendly ships would be at risk from larger yields. They are about 9 KT yields. The Army has fission artillery shells that are also about that in yield. Allied troops in the field would be at risk from larger yields here.
The fusion weapons are typically strategic weapons. This means relatively high yields to knock out whole sections of an economy or military presence. In the U.S., the weapons are delivered by independently targetable RVs that are carried, in groups of three, by the strategic missiles. Although 1 MT devices are easily achieved, it can be shown that three RVs at 250 KT have more kill power than 1 MT and they are not as costly or easy to defend against.
In truth all weapons that invoked e = mc^2 to derive their explosive power are atomic bombs. They derive their power from the atom; either splitting it or fusing it. But the first, simple bombs were fission and the news media called them atomic bombs or A-bombs. So that became a kind of the nom de guerre for fission bombs only.
Then after WWII ended along came the H-bomb. To show off America's might, a much ballyhooed test in the Pacific of a primitive fusion bomb was covered by the media once again. This time, some clever reporter, put the words H-bomb into the headlines and that monicker stuck for the fusion bombs. Of course, it's a hydrogen isotope, not hydrogen itself, that is used to fuel the fusion.
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