What is the TNT equivalent? Nuclear explosion energy

The article describes what a TNT equivalent is, when this criterion was first introduced, what it measures, and what is needed for such a definition.

Start

The very first explosive, which mankind met , is gunpowder. Invented it was in China at the beginning of our era, but for a long time it was used only as a filler for fireworks and other entertainments. And only in the Middle Ages it became an integral part of almost all wars.

But at the beginning of the 20th century other explosives, much more powerful, safe and effective, replaced him. And one of them, which is still used today, is trinitrotoluene or TNT. It is so widely used and universal substance that the TNT equivalent has become a measure for high-energy events, for example, explosions of other explosives, consequences of falling meteorites and, of course, nuclear bombs. This is done for the convenience of calculations, a kind of universal measuring unit has appeared. But first things first.

The Age of the Atom

In the early fifties of the last century the world received a new and monstrous in its power weapons, based on the energy of decay of uranium atoms, and later plutonium.

In simplistic terms, the first atomic bombs operated according to a fairly simple "cannon" principle. It was then that the need arose for such a method of measuring their explosions, as the TNT equivalent. Two pieces of highly enriched uranium were placed in a hollow "pipe" opposite each other, and at the right time, the explosion of a chemical explosive confronted them with enormous force, which triggered a chain reaction of the decay of uranium atoms, accompanied by a colossal explosion of power. For example, the TNT equivalent of a nuclear munitions dropped on Hiroshima was between 13 and 18 kilotons. But how is it denoted?

Value

According to the officially accepted designation, the TNT equivalent is divided into the following values:

• Gram.
• Kilogram.
• Tona.
• A kiloton (one thousand tone).
• Megatonne (million tons).

In simpler terms, the equivalent of TNT is how much such a substance is needed to repeat a particular explosion or phenomenon - a volcanic eruption, etc.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On August 6, 1945, the first and, fortunately, the last real use of atomic weapons in military operations occurred. The nuclear explosion in Hiroshima has become a terrible tragedy for its inhabitants, as, like any other weapons of mass destruction, it does not distinguish between civilian and military populations. The explosion almost completely destroyed the city.

Although from a technical point of view, the design of that bomb was far from perfect. As a result, only 1% of the total mass of working uranium was split. Perhaps, it is this factor that has allowed to avoid even greater sacrifices.

The nuclear explosion in Hiroshima still, after many decades, is a matter of controversy about its necessity and general justification, since a horrifying number of civilians were killed, and even more remained maimed for life as a result of a powerful light flash that, in a few moments, set the buildings on fire and incinerated people .

And three days later, a similar fate befell the inhabitants of Nagasaki.

There is an erroneous opinion that it was these bombardments that put the horses of World War II by US forces. But this is not so. They only brought the quick end of the exhausted imperial army of Japan, which fought on two fronts against the US in the Pacific and the USSR in the far east.

The explosion in the TNT equivalent of the bomb, which was taken by Hiroshima, was 13 to 18 thousand tons of TNT (kilotonnes), and Nagasaki - 21 kilotons.

Peaceful atom

In addition to nuclear weapons, the "curbing" of radioactive substances gave people an almost inexhaustible source of energy in the form of reactors of various designs, ranging from huge steam turbines supplying entire cities with electricity to compact radioisotope so-called RTGs that were widely produced and served in the USSR Food beacons, research and Arctic stations. It is noteworthy that the recycling of them took up only in our years and they were not especially protected. It came to that enterprising locals tried to hand over RTGs to scrap metal.

Fortunately, the atomic war, which was so feared during the confrontation between the USSR and the US, did not happen. And nuclear arsenals serve, rather, as a preventive measure, which restrains countries from mutual destruction or the outbreak of a new world war.

Other substances

The power in the TNT equivalent is also used, not just to indicate the deadly nuclear charge. It measures the consequences of the fall of meteorites, explosions of volcanoes and explosions of other chemical explosives. This measure shows how much a substance is stronger or weaker than trinitrotoluene. For example, the power of gunpowder is 0.55-0.66, ammonal - 0.99, hexogen - 1.3-1.6 in trotyl equivalent.