Differences Between Little Boy and Fat Man Nuclear Bombs

Questions and Answers

Match the following nuclear weapons with the isotopes they used:

Little Boy = U-238 Fat Man = U-235

Match the following statements with the correct isotope's behavior:

U-238 captures neutron to become U-239 = Fails to fission U-235 captures neutron to initiate chain reaction = Causes detonation Pu-239 captures neutron to become Pu-240 = Fails to fission Pu-239 captures neutron to initiate chain reaction = Causes detonation

Match the following descriptions with the correct challenges faced by scientists:

Separating and purifying U-235 from U-238 = Strong chemical similarity between isotopes Finding efficient methods for uranium extraction and enrichment = Overwhelming abundance of U-238 Developing a fission chain reaction for U-235 = Complexity of plutonium extraction process Ensuring a chain reaction for Pu-239 in Fat Man = Limited availability of Pu-239

Match the following terms with their meanings:

Enrichment process = Separating U-235 from U-238 Fission chain reaction = Initiating a self-sustaining nuclear reaction Neutron bombardment = Process of bombarding with neutrons to induce reactions Isotope separation = Process of separating different isotopes of an element Signup and view all the answers

Match the method of separating uranium-235 with its description:

Gaseous diffusion = One of the methods investigated to separate and purify U-235 Centrifuge = Another method used to separate and purify U-235 Electromagnetic separation = Method involving the use of electromagnetic fields to separate U-235 Liquid thermal diffusion = Technique used in the process of separating U-235 Signup and view all the answers

Match the bomb design with its description:

Little Boy = Used a gun-type design to combine two masses of U-235 Fat Man = Utilized conventional explosives to quickly squeeze and consolidate plutonium Gun-type design = Design that fired one amount of U-235 at another to create a critical mass Implosion design = Design that compressed a central plutonium mass with explosives to initiate detonation Signup and view all the answers

Match the type of plutonium with its characteristic:

Plutonium-239 = The desired isotope for bomb production Plutonium-240 = Contains higher fission rate, making it less desirable for bomb construction Hanford plutonium = Collected from nuclear reactors, contained traces of plutonium-240 Berkeley Lab plutonium = Extracted initially, less impure compared to Hanford plutonium Signup and view all the answers

Match the detonation process with its description:

Fission chain reaction = Initiated by firing neutrons after reaching critical mass Shock wave compression = Released by igniting explosives, leading to plutonium explosion Critical mass achievement = Reached through increased pressure and density of the substance Spontaneous fission prevention = Necessary for avoiding a fizzled explosion Signup and view all the answers

Match the method of separating uranium-235 with its description:

Gaseous diffusion = Utilized a porous barrier to separate isotopes based on their atomic mass Centrifuge = Separated isotopes by spinning them at high speeds Electromagnetic separation = Used magnetic fields to separate isotopes based on their mass-to-charge ratio Liquid thermal diffusion = Relied on temperature differences to separate isotopes Signup and view all the answers

Match the bomb design with its description:

Little Boy (U-235 bomb) = Utilized a gun-type design to combine two masses of U-235 quickly Fat Man (Plutonium bomb) = Used conventional explosives to squeeze and consolidate a central plutonium mass Trinity (Test bomb) = Employed implosion design to compress plutonium and initiate fission chain reaction Ivy Mike (Thermonuclear bomb) = Fused deuterium and tritium to achieve nuclear fusion Signup and view all the answers

Match the isotope behavior with the consequences on bomb detonation:

Plutonium-240 in Hanford plutonium = Higher fission rate causing premature detonation Plutonium-239 in initial plutonium = Desired isotope for effective bomb explosion Uranium-235 combining too slowly = Risk of spontaneous fission leading to a failed explosion Uranium-238 contamination in U-235 = Reduction in efficiency of fission chain reaction Signup and view all the answers

Match the challenges faced by scientists with the solutions provided:

Insufficient U-235 production = Investigation of multiple uranium separation methods Plutonium impurities affecting design = Development of implosion-style bomb design Risk of fizzle due to slow combination = Utilization of gun-type design for rapid fusion Difficulty in compressing plutonium mass = Innovation of conventional explosives for compression Signup and view all the answers

Match the nuclear reactor site with the type of plutonium produced:

Hanford, WA = Plutonium containing traces of Pu-240 Berkeley Lab, CA = Initial pure plutonium without Pu-240 contamination Los Alamos, NM = Location where implosion-style bomb design was developed Oak Ridge, TN = Site where uranium enrichment methods were tested Signup and view all the answers