The one pound of Uranuim-235 is about as big as a golf ball. The atomic bomb was estimated to generate 20,000 tons of TNT (Knebel and Bailey 506). In 1945 two pieces of Uranuim-235 were put into a gun-type weapon and fired together forming a huge explosive mass (Badash). This is the Uranium bomb that was later used on Hiroshima, nicknamed "Little Boy-.
Another type of atomic bomb was constructed with a synthetic element called plutonium. In 1942 a reactor was built by Enrico Fermi. The reactors manufactured plutonium by combining Uranium-238 and neutrons. There were five different types of reactors made and tested (Badash). These five reactors were tested on Uranium-238.
The two bombs.
After the atomic bombs were constructed, they needed to be tested. The first test was done at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. This was then the first explosion of an atomic bomb occurred (Badash). This was the first time anyone saw the power of the atomic bomb in action. The men who dropped the atomic bomb were unaware of the danger of the heat or light let off by the atomic bomb. Some men looked at it when it exploded and became temporarily blinded.
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:.
