When was the first full-scale thermonuclear test?
The first full-scale thermonuclear test was carried out by the United States on November 1, 1952. The concept has since been employed by most of the world's nuclear powers in the design of their weapons.
The design of all modern thermonuclear weapons in the United States is known as the Teller–Ulam configuration for its two chief contributors, Edward Teller and Stanislaw Ulam, who developed it in 1951 for the United States, with certain concepts developed with the contribution of physicist John von Neumann. Similar devices were developed by the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France, and China.
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17 Comments
Terry2ts
Fission bombs or Atomic bombs, like those used to devastate the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II, work by splitting the nucleus of an atom. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki exploded with the yield of 15 kilotons and 20 kilotons of TNT.
In contrast, the first test of a thermonuclear weapon, or hydrogen bomb, in the United States in November 1952 yielded an explosion on the order of 10,000 kilotons of TNT. Thermonuclear bombs start with the same fission reaction that powers atomic bombs — but the majority of the uranium or plutonium in atomic bombs actually goes unused. In a thermonuclear bomb, an additional step means that more of the bomb's explosive power becomes available.
deborahpmercer
Good, if bleak question. November 1 is the Day of the Dead. Makes you think!
Brian McFarlane
Gracie, The clue is 'thermonuclear'. which is a different, more advanced bomb, than what was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those two weapons were plutonium weapons . Those type weapons were retired in 1950. The bomb tested at Bikini Atoll in 1952 was a hydrogen weapon, also known as a thermonuclear weapon, which has vastly greater 'yield'.
James Parrillo, with Christine
Terry2ts, Thank you for explaining the difference. I was part of the group answering before WWII. Christine, James' wife
earlepg
Despite the fact that 35% managed to guess wrong, this question couldn't have been easier to answer.. 1905 far too early? 1937 not recognizing WWII? 1990 practically yesterday? 1952 Right on!
Edie Koller
I remember my parents talking about that when I was 6 yrs old then.
Bad Nora
deborahpmercer, hadn't thought of that. Appropriate.
Richard G Schwartz
Felt like there was more to be said.
Yunus Ghaznavi
ADD TO IT PAKISTAN, NORTH KOREA AND THE INDIANS.
Frank Cowell
Alan Waites, "Brian" is on safe-boot today. Again
Alan Waites
3 impossible answers leaving the only viable option
Nicholas Miernicki
Gracie, And "full scale" truly meant full scale, if I remember correctly, the "bomb" was the size of a commercial refrigeration unit.
Nicholas Miernicki
I believe this was the test where things got away from them a little bit, when the yield was 3 times what they expected. If I remember it correctly, it was something about Lithium joining in on the fusion reaction and ramping up the power.
Gracie
So the test was after the bombing of Japan. Did I miss something. What does "full scale actually mean?
Lynne Zeman
A never stated where the test eww as carried out. Very poor information.
One of the worse exercises in "humanity" for egotistical means.
Richard D. Boyle
Sally Onyett, The detonation took place at Enewetak atoll north of the Marshall Islands above the equator in the part of the North Central Pacific known as Micronesia. Very isolated area as you would expect.