How were atomic bombs triggered?

Answer 1

I believe it was when Albert Einstein wanted to start research on the atomic bomb.

You believe wrong. The only thing Einstein had to do with the atomic bomb project was to sign a letter written by Leo Szilard warning FDR of the possibility of a Nazi atomic bomb and suggesting a study into the possibility. The history of the atomic bomb starts in 1933 with Leo Szilard:

1. While crossing a London street in 1933, Leo Szilard invented the nuclear neutron chain reaction, the key to the atomic bomb. However he had no known material that would support a chain reaction.
2. In 1934, Leo Szilard was granted his patent on the chain reaction and the atomic bomb.
3. In 1936, Leo Szilard signed his patent over to the British Admiralty to keep it out of the hands of the Nazis in Germany.
4. In 1938, Otto Hahn in Berlin discovered that Uranium-235 fissioned when hit by a neutron and produced excess neutrons. This made Szilard's patent practical.
5. In 1939, Einstein signs Szilard's letter to FDR. A preliminary study is begun late in the year.
6. In 1940, MAUD committee begins formal study of bomb physics.
7. In 1941, Glenn Seaborg discovers Plutonium.
8. In 1942, the Manhattan Project is formally begun.
9. July 16, 1945, the Gadget device is tested at Trinity site.
10. August 6 & 9, 1945, two atomic bombs are dropped on Japan.
11. In 1946, two atomic bombs are fired on Bikini Atoll in Operation Crossroads to test effects on shipping.
12. In 1947, the Manhattan Project ends with its responsibilities turned over to the new AEC.

Answer 2

Albert Einstein informed President Roosevelt about the possibility of a new powerful uranium bomb being developed in the near future and about the German government taking over a uranium mine in Czechoslovakia and stopping the sale of uranium and also of their takeover of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute's school of Physics, indicating that Hitler probably had a team working on the development of the atomic bomb.

Answer 3

There was only a couple of pounds of nuclear material in each of the bombs. In the Nagasaki bomb this was in the form of a perfect sphere. This sphere was surrounded by another perfect hollow sphere of conventional high explosives, carefully machined so that when detonated, all its explosive force would be focused inward on the nuclear material, suddenly compressing it enough to set off the nuclear chain reaction. This is the type of detonation achieved by all modern nuclear bombs.

In the Hiroshima bomb there were two perfect spheres of nuclear material, one larger than the other. This was a "gun type" bomb. The smaller sphere was fired down a "gun barrel" in to the other sphere. When they collided this compressed the spheres enough to reach critical mass and set off the nuclear chain reaction.

Both bombs had barometric fuses which caused their detonation to occur 1500 feet above the ground.

Answer 4

The atomic bomb is made in two hemispheres or in one piece with holes. When the two hemispheres brought together or the holes compressed the total mass arrives the critical mass that with help of the neutron source the nuclear chain fission reaction is triggered and the bomb blows up.

Answer 5

The ones used on Japan in WW2 used a combination of RADAR and barometric fusing to trigger detonation at about 1500 feet altitude, to maximize the range of blast and thermal effects.

Answer 6

Well the first known use of the atomic bomb was during WWII when the US dropped one atomic bomb on Hiroshima and nagasaki Japan. After that Japan surrendered ending WWII.

Answer 7

The bombing on our very own Pearl Harbor, Hawaii led the US Army in WWII to deploy the first ever atomic bomb on Japan

Answer 8

Albert Einstein sent a letter 2 the White House proposing his idea of the atomic bomb he created it