COLLEGESIDEKICK

PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

TITLE: How do Nuclear Weapons work?

ACADEMIC YEAR

2022-2023

DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

NACHARAM SECUNDERABAD

SUBMITTED BY

NAME OF THE STUDENT A.YUVRAJ SRI VARDHAN

CLASS/SECTION XI-A

ROLL NO. 44

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that B.N.Priyanjali bearing Roll number 8 of class XII section E

has completed physics investigatory project prescribed by the CBSE under the AISSCE

practical course in the laboratory of this school during the academic year 2022-23.

Signature of the Teacher Signature of Principal

Signature of the Examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher (Mr.

Bashant Chandra ) as well as our principal (Ms. Sunitha S. Rao) who gave me the

golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic (How do Nuclear

weapons work?), which also helped me in doing a lot of Research and I came to

know about so many new things I am really thankful to them.

Secondly I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me

a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time frame.

Name of the Student: A.YUVRAJ SRI VARDHAN

Class / section :XI-A

Roll Number : 44

Signature :

INDEX

S.No. Topic Page Number

1 Aim: How do Nuclear Weapons Work?

2 Introduction

3 Types of Nuclear Energy

4 The Atomic Bomb

5 The Hydrogen Bomb

6 Nuclear Design

7 Nuclear Fuel

8 Conclusion

9 Bibliography

AIM: How do nuclear

weapons work?
INTRODUCTION

Nuclear weapons are massive explosive weapons that

release their energy and destructive force through
nuclear reactions - either fission or a combination of
fission and fusion.
Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on
earth. One can destroy a whole city, potentially killing
millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and
lives of future generations through its long-term
catastrophic effects. The dangers from such weapons
arise from their very existence.

Types of Nuclear Energy

There are two ways that nuclear energy can be
released from an atom:

• Nuclear fission - the nucleus of an atom is split

into two smaller fragments by a neutron. This
method usually involves isotopes of uranium
(uranium-235, uranium-233) or plutonium
(plutonium-239).
• Nuclear fusion - two smaller atoms are brought
together, usually hydrogen or hydrogen isotopes
(deuterium, tritium), to form a larger one (helium
isotopes); this is how the sun produces energy.

The Atomic Bomb

Nuclear fission produces the atomic bomb, a weapon of

mass destruction that uses power released by the
splitting of atomic nuclei.

When a single free neutron strikes the nucleus of an

atom of radioactive material like uranium or plutonium,
it knocks two or three more neutrons free. Energy is
released when those neutrons split off from the
nucleus, and the newly released neutrons strike other
uranium or plutonium nuclei, splitting them in the same
way, releasing more energy and more neutrons. This
chain reaction spreads almost instantaneously.

Atomic bombs were exploded in war in Hiroshima and

Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

Devastation in Hiroshima

Due to its long, thin shape, the Hiroshima bomb was

called 'Little Boy'. The material used was uranium 235.
It is believed that the fission of slightly less than one
kilogram of uranium 235 releases energy equivalent to
approximately 15,000 tons of TNT.

Compared to the one used on Hiroshima, the Nagasaki

bomb was rounder and fatter. It was called 'Fat Man'.

The material used was plutonium 239. The fission of

slightly more than one kilogram of plutonium 239 is
thought to have released destructive energy equivalent
to about 21,000 tons of TNT.

The Hydrogen Bomb

Nuclear fusion is a reaction that releases atomic

energy by the union of light nuclei at high
temperatures to form heavier atoms. Hydrogen bombs,

which use nuclear fusion, have higher destructive

power and greater efficiencies than atomic bombs.

Due to the high temperatures required to initiate a

nuclear fusion reaction, the process is often referred
to as a thermonuclear explosion. This is typically done
with the isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium)
which fuse together to form Helium atoms. This led to
the term 'hydrogen bomb' to describe the deuterium-
tritium fusion bomb.

NUCLEAR DESIGN
Gun-type design

The gun-type weapon is produced through a rather

simple process in which one mass of U- 235 is 'shot' into
another by conventional explosives, creating a critical
mass. The impact generates more neutrons, ensuring a
fission chain reaction.The gun type nuclear explosion is
the most inefficient in terms of burning up the fissile
material; only about 1.4 percent of the highly enriched
uranium is actually fissioned.

Implosion design

Implosion design takes a smaller amount of plutonium

than highly enriched uranium to achieve a self-
sustaining chain reaction of nuclear fission. However,
plutonium's physical properties are such that a gun -
type device cannot combine two separate masses fast
enough to achieve this critical mass.

For this reason, a nuclear explosion using plutonium

actually begins as an implosion that relies on a
sophisticated arrangement of high explosive lenses
that must fire inwards simultaneously from all
directions towards a plutonium pit.

NUCLEAR FUEL

While a number of elements are fissionable, only a few

are used in nuclear weapons. Most common are the
isotopes uranium-235 and plutonium-239

Uranium is found throughout the world and can be

mined from mineral deposits. However, only a small
fraction of naturally occurring uranium is uranium-235.
Producing usable uranium requires a process of
"enrichment," in which different uranium isotopes are
separated and concentrated. This is extremely costly,
difficult, and time-consuming, and is one of the central
barriers to constructing a nuclear bomb.

Plutonium can also be used, but only occurs naturally in

trace amounts. It can, however, be produced as a
fission byproduct in nuclear reactors, then separated
by a process called "reprocessing." Plutonium separation

is easier than uranium enrichment —it involves

separating different elements, not different isotopes
of the same element —but it's a highly radioactive
process that requires heavily shielded facilities with
remote-handling equipment.

CONCLUSION

The Nuclear weapons are truly a turning point in

history. It changed people's view on war, it changed
the way we conduct war, and it changed the world for
the better. Though many lives were lost due the
development of these bombs, many can now be
protected. Through nuclear medicine and even nuclear
weapons we can protect our country.

Nuclear weapons are still of moral concern and have

allowed people to actually learn about war. Now, as
people realize the result of war, people will actually
participate more in its development. Nuclear weapons
have led to the development of clean energy and
advancement in technology. It started a revolution,
through the race to space. It unified our country and

the world. The relationships we have with numerous

nations are a result of the Nuclear weapons and the
mistakes we have made through it created a better
world. The reason the Nuclear weapons were developed
was to stop a war that changed the world, it has truly
turned the world into a new and better place.

BIBILOGRAPHY
➢howstuffworks.com
➢ctbto.org

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