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The Atomic Bomb
By: Joe M.
Origins
• Just before the beginning
of World War II, in August
1939, Albert Einstein
wrote a letter to President
Franklin Roosevelt telling
him about the German
effort to create the Atomic
Bomb.
• Roosevelt then knew that
the U.S. needed to take
action.
The Manhattan Project
• The project was committed
to using the research of top
scientists in the U.S. to
create an atomic bomb.
• Took place in Los Alamos,
New Mexico, under the
direction of J. Robert
Oppenheimer.
• In the end, the project cost
over $2 Billion dollars.
First Atomic Explosion
• The first atomic explosion took place in
Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945.
• It was dropped for testing purposes only.
• The energy from the explosion was equivalent
to that of 20,000 tons of TNT.
Atomic Bomb Detonated At
Hiroshima
• WWII brought the first use of the
atomic bomb for military action.
• The bomb, nicknamed “Little
Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima,
Japan, on August 6th, 1945.
• Even though it was a smaller
atomic bomb, it still managed to
kill over 65,000 people, and injure
almost 70,000.
• The total area of destruction was
one mile in diameter.
Atomic Bomb Dropped At
Nagasaki
• The second Atomic bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man,” dropped
for military purposes during WWII, was dropped on
August 9th, 1945, in Nagasaki, Japan.
• 39,000 people were killed, and 25,000 were injured.
A picture of the ruins in Nagasaki, following the atomic explosion.
Japan Surrenders
• The day after the
bombing of Nagasaki,
on August 10th, 1945,
Japan offered to
surrender.
• Japan made it official by
agreeing to Allied terms
of surrender, on August
4th, 1945.
Effects of Bombings
• The original explosions in Hiroshima, and Nagasaki,
Japan, were deadly enough, but the destructive ability of
the atomic bomb does not stop after the explosion stops.
• Any rain that follows an atomic bomb is filled with
radioactive particles. So, unfortunately, many of the
Japanese people who originally survived the explosions,
eventually died due to radioactive poisoning.
• Atomic bombs effect even the generation after the
explosion. It has been found that Leukemia has been
passed on to offspring at a higher rate in cities that have
had an atomic explosion. So countries now now that an
atomic explosion goes even deeper then just the original
damage, and that is why many countries have taken steps
to eliminate atomic bombs.
Dismantling of Atomic Bombs
• In the early years of the atomic bomb,
many thought that they would be used
to build the Panama Canal, and be
used in mining operations. But those
thoughts were eliminated quickly after
the side effects were shown due to the
bombings in Japan, during WWII.
• Since then, the U.S. Military, and
other countries, has increasingly
dismantled more and more atomic
bombs.
• Testing was eliminated after the
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was
introduced on September 10th, 1996.
Conclusion
• WWII brought the need for the production of the first
atomic bomb, and it also brought the first detonation of an
atomic bomb, in Hiroshima. Our knowledge of the atomic
bomb has come a long way since the Manhattan Project.
Now the side effects beyond the initial explosion are
known, and countries are more cautious due to that.
Actions, like the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, have been taken
to reduce the use of the atomic bomb. The Atomic bomb
should only be used as a last resort, and not as a primary
option, and many countries now understand this. We now
have more deadly weapons then ever before, but the world
is a safer place because we have strong leaders that
understand how, and when, to use them.
Works Cited
• "Atomic Bomb." 29 Nov. 2004. Atomic Bomb.
Atomic Bomb. 29 Nov. 2004
<http://encarta.msn.com>.
• "History of the Atomic Bomb." 29 Nov. 2004.
History of the Atomic Bomb. History of the
Atomic Bomb. 29 Nov. 2004
<http://inventors.about.com>.