Nuclear Chemistry and Nuclear Weapons

The field of nuclear chemistry is so broad and varied that there is no universally accepted definition for it. This is because it is a subject, with its origins springing from areas such as physics, biology, and chemistry. Nuclear chemistry has contributed to numerous important discoveries in our knowledge of the nucleus and has also provided advancements in medicine and the use of nuclear weapons. We use nuclear chemistry in the medical field where radiation therapy and imaging are major applications, in energy production, as nearly one-fifth of the worlds electricity is generated by nuclear power, in industry, and much more.

An atomic bomb is defined as a powerful nuclear weapon whose destructive effect is caused by the sudden release of energy when atoms of uranium or plutonium are split into atoms of lighter elements. Hahn and Straussmann first discovered fission around Christmas in 1938. The first atomic bombs were constructed and detonated in 1945 when the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in World War II. The damage and death caused by an atomic explosion are due to blast, heat, direct nuclear radiation, and fallout.

A variety of names are used for these bombs. A-bombs, or atomic bombs, H-bombs, or hydrogen bombs, nuclear weapons, and fission bombs are a few. No matter the name, all nuclear weapons so far invented require fission to initiate the explosive release of energy. Besides the United States, there are other countries in which have atomic bombs including Russia. It was recently reported that for more than 20 years China has had stolen secret information on every nuclear weapon in the

United States arsenal enabling Beijing to build missiles capable of reaching America. Arnold Kanter, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Forum for International Policy, said that the Chinese have two dozen nuclear warheads in comparison to the Untied States' more than 6,000. Even so the threat of nuclear war is a scary thought because of the power and capability of these weapons.