How does a fusion bomb differ from a fission bomb?

A fusion bomb, or hydrogen bomb, uses nuclear fusion to release energy, while a fission bomb uses nuclear fission.

A fusion bomb and a fission bomb, also known as a hydrogen bomb and an atomic bomb respectively, are two types of nuclear weapons that utilise different nuclear reactions to release vast amounts of energy. The primary difference between the two lies in the nuclear reactions they employ: a fission bomb uses nuclear fission, while a fusion bomb uses nuclear fusion.

Nuclear fission is a process where the nucleus of a heavy atom, such as uranium or plutonium, is split into two or more smaller nuclei along with some by-products. This process releases a large amount of energy, but also produces a significant amount of radioactive waste. The first atomic bombs, used during World War II, were fission bombs.

On the other hand, nuclear fusion is a process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. This process, which powers the sun and other stars, releases even more energy per unit mass than nuclear fission and produces less radioactive waste. However, achieving the conditions necessary for nuclear fusion is more challenging than for nuclear fission. A fusion bomb typically uses a fission bomb as a trigger to achieve the high temperatures and pressures necessary for fusion to occur.

In terms of destructive power, fusion bombs are significantly more powerful than fission bombs. The largest fusion bomb ever detonated, the Tsar Bomba by the Soviet Union, had an estimated yield of 50 megatons, more than 3,000 times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. This is because fusion reactions release more energy per unit mass than fission reactions.

In summary, while both fission and fusion bombs are types of nuclear weapons that release vast amounts of energy, they do so through different nuclear reactions. Fission bombs split heavy atomic nuclei, while fusion bombs combine light atomic nuclei. Fusion bombs are more powerful and produce less radioactive waste, but are also more difficult to construct.