In 1939, German scientists had started their research on constructing the first atomic bomb. However, the Americans soon became part of the race to build the bomb. Leo Sziland, a brilliant Hungarian went to warn Einstein about the atomic progress in Germany (Knebel and Bailey 504). Albert Einstein was in Long Island at his summer home when Sziland informed Einstein of the Germans progress. Einstein sent President Franklin D. Roosevelt a letter to warn him about the news he had heard. The letter arrived at the White House in October. The news led the United States into a new defense project (Knebel and Bailey 504). This project was the building of the atomic bomb.

The project was first led by Vannevar Bush, head of the National Defense Research Committee. The Manhattan Project was a code name for

Beside the heat and wind generated, there was also a great amount of radiation generated. The explosion generated Alpha, Beta, Gamma and neutrons rays. Most of the rays were absorbed by the air, but some gamma and neutron rays reached the ground (Energy). These rays affected the people greatly. Even the people not hit by the great winds or heat died within thirty days from the radiation. It has been observed that the long-term effects of radiation affected atomic bomb survivors and that the radiation exposure caused genetic damages.

The bomb generated a very strong wind at the moment of its explosion. The wind reflected when it hit the mountains surrounding the city. The houses and buildings near the mountains were destroyed by the reflected wind. Actually, I felt a strong wind twice; and the second one was stronger than the first. Nothing could withstand that much wind or pressure (Eisenhower 128).

There were two different types of atomic bombs built. The “Little Boy” is one of the too atomic bombs. This bomb is a Uranium bomb. The “Little Boy” produced a tremendous amount of energy in terms of sound and air pressure. It also produced an enormous amount of radiation. The Gamma rays and the neutrons of the “Little Boy” caused devastating human injuries. “The Little Boy” is a nickname for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. After “Little Boy” was dropped it took about a minute before it exploded. The bomb was said to explode at about 8:15 a.m. in Japan standard time. The people who saw “The Little Boy” said that they thought the sky exploded. The soldier who dropped the bomb was named Bob Exum, and this is how he described what he saw:

The atomic bomb produced great amounts of wind. At the center of the explosion the wind velocity got up to 980 miles per hour (Energy). That is five times stronger than the wind generated by a strong hurricane. The pressure of the wind was 3.5kg per square centimeter, which is about 8,600 pounds per square foot (Energy). Even a mile from the explosion, the wind generated was up to 200 miles per hour and the pressure was about 1,200 pounds per square foot (Energy). Mr. Kosuke Shishido, a bomb survivor says:

Some topics in this essay:
War II, Bob Exum, Beta Gamma, Mexico July, Allied Headquarters, Hiroshima August, Kosuke Shishido, , Knebel Bailey, Enrico Fermi, atomic bomb, “little boy”, atomic bombs, bomb dropped, wind generated, iinkai 65, rose 538, world war ii, “fat man”, explosion generated, knebel bailey, hiroshima august 6, pounds square foot, people environment japan, physical effects people,