ELi5: Which is the difference between an atomic bomb and a nuclear bomb?
In: Chemistry
They are synonymous. The two terms are both used to describe the same types of devices. There is a third term, thermonuclear bomb, which is a type of atomic bomb or a nuclear bomb that is different. Most nuclear bombs are based on fission between heavy isotopes, typically plutonium and uranium. However thermonuclear bombs get their power from the fusion of light isotopes, hydrogen, helium and lithium. Thermonuclear bombs are much more powerful for their size. But all are still referred to as atomic bombs or nuclear bombs.
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