What is the difference between nuclear and thermonuclear weapon?

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What is the difference between nuclear and thermonuclear weapon?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

First, this isn’t chemistry, or at least it’s not about chemical reactions. Chemistry is the interactions of atoms in molecules, not atoms changing in their atomic number (i.e. number of protons) or changing in their atomic mass (i.e. number of protons and neutrons).

Second, I think you’re asking “what is the difference between *atomic* and thermonuclear weapons?”

An atomic bomb relies on fission, that is, breaking apart very large nuclei, such as uranium or plutonium, to derive its power.

A thermonuclear bomb uses an atomic reaction (fission) to drive a fusion reaction. Fusion, which provides most of the thermonuclear bomb’s power, is combining very small nuclei (of hydrogen, in this case). The sun fuses hydrogen into helium and that reaction is the source of its energy.

That’s the basic difference.

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