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The Little Boy. Development . The Little Boy bomb was constructed through the Manhattan Project during World War II . Creation of the bomb started in May, 1945. Had 1000 tons of uranium ore transported to a New York warehouse in 1939 .
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Development • The Little Boy bomb was constructed through the Manhattan Project during World War II. • Creation of the bomb started in May, 1945. • Had 1000 tons of uranium ore transported to a New York warehouse in 1939. • The bomb was very dangerous to handle because any misfire of the explosive would trigger a chain reaction and cause the bomb to explode. There was also the fear of extreme heat or lightning triggering a reaction.
Basic weapon design • Length- .8 feet • Diameter- 28 inches • Weight- Approximately 8,900 pounds
How it Worked • Used the Gun Method, which is when you shoot one piece of the uranium onto the other by means of chemical explosives, creating a nuclear chain reaction. • It produced an explosive force equal to 20,000 tons of TNT.
The bombing of Hiroshima • The bomb was armed in flight 31,000 feet above the city, then dropped at approximately 08:15. After falling for 43 seconds • The detonation happened at an altitude of 1,900 feet. With a power of 13 to 16 kilotons. • It was less powerful than Fat Man but caused more damage because Hiroshima was on flat terrain. • According to published US Army figures 66,000 people were killed as a direct result of the Hiroshima blast, and 69,000 were injured to varying degrees.
3 Main Affects of Atomic Bombs • Blast • The blast from a nuclear bomb is the result of the fireball sending a shock wave in all directions at a velocity greater than the speed of sound • Radiation • All of the radiation from the Little Boy came directly from the fireball. • There was no radioactive fallout due to the height of the explosion. • Fire • The first effect of the explosion was blinding light, accompanied by radiant heat from the fireball. The Hiroshima fireball was 1,200 feet in diameter, with a temperature of 7,200 °F. • Near ground zero, everything flammable burst into flame, glass products and sand melted into molten glass, and any humans were either vaporized or turned to carbon instantly.
“Shadow" • There were many cases when a victim was instantly vaporized by the blast and the extreme heat burned a shadow of the victim.
Sources • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy#Assembly_details • http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/atomic_bomb.htm • http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1026