The name given to the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was "Little Boy." It was a uranium bomb, which means that the bomb was more fissionable and able to start a nuclear chain reaction. The bomb was based on a gun-type detonator because uranium is more fissionable. "Little Boy" was known as an altimeter bomb, which is a bomb that would explode above the ground before it actually hit the surface. A hypocenter was the area of land directly beneath the place where the bomb exploded. The width of the bomb was 28 inches, the weight was 8,900 lbs. and the length was 120 inches. A huge amount of energy was generated when it exploded. The energy amount was equal to that produced by a 15 kiloton TNT explosion. The temperature rose to approximately 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit at and around the hypocenter. The winds produced by the explosion were moving at over 980 miles per hour which is much more than the force of a strong hurricane. In fact, the force of the winds were so strong that over a mile away all brick buildings were completely destroyed.
The Scientists Who Developed the First Atomic Bomb
Links