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The Atomic Bomb & Nuclear Technology

The Atomic Bomb & Nuclear Technology. How did the development of the atomic bomb and nuclear technology change the world?. http://web.mit.edu/pugwash/www/WMD/wmd-his.html. Gina Bua. US and Japanese Conflict. 1930’s – 1940’s Japan is expanding its empire US imposes oil embargo on Japan

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The Atomic Bomb & Nuclear Technology

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  1. The Atomic Bomb & Nuclear Technology How did the development of the atomic bomb and nuclear technology change the world? http://web.mit.edu/pugwash/www/WMD/wmd-his.html Gina Bua

  2. US and Japanese Conflict 1930’s – 1940’s Japan is expanding its empire US imposes oil embargo on Japan 8/1/1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor 12/7/1941 US Declares war on Japan 12/8/1941 Background on the US and Japanese conflict leading to the use of the atomic bomb: Trevor Brown

  3. How did the bomb lead to new lines of scientific inquiry and affect how people live and work? Luke Suhr

  4. Background Knowledge • What is radiation? • Alpha • Beta • Gamma • What’s so special about uranium? www.reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com www.mei.gov.on.ca Luke Suhr

  5. The Decision to Drop the Bomb • How does a fission bomb work? • Radioactive uranium atoms get to close together • How does a fusion bomb work? • Hydrogen isotopes react to form helium www.ftp.irtc.org www.lancs.ac.uk Luke Suhr

  6. Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology • Nuclear Energy • Pro: It’s “green energy” • Con: It produces nuclear waste • Irradiation • Pro: It allows food to stay fresh for a long time • Con: There could be other side effects Luke Suhr

  7. The Decision to Drop the Bomb • What agencies participated in the decision? • Executive Branch (President) • Scientists • Department of Defense • Joint Chiefs • Meteorologists • What factors contributed to the selection of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? • Favorable weather conditions • Industrial targets • Lack of prior bomb damage http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/index.htm Gina Bua

  8. The Decision to Drop the Bomb • Where did the scientists want the bomb to be dropped? • Japan (Oppenheimer) • Uninhabited island (Chicago Metallurgical Lab) • Why an uninhabited island? • Public opinion • Prevent nuclear arms race • Obtain multinational support before use against populated area Where did the scientists want the bomb to be dropped? http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/nagasaki-2.jpg Gina Bua

  9. The Decision to Drop the Bomb • What factors influenced the decision to drop the bomb? • Previous casualties during the war in the Pacific • Projected casualties for a land invasion of Japan and Korea • The desperate measures taken by the Japanese military • The availability of a new weapon • Lack of desire to wait an additional three months to begin the land invasion • To justify the expense of development http://archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=511 Gina Bua

  10. The Decision to Drop the Bomb • What were the arguments against dropping the bomb? • High numbers of civilian casualties • Potential for unfavorable public opinion in the US and other countries • Potential to start a nuclear arms race http://www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/english/notice/photographs.html http://www.virginiawestern.edu/faculty/vwhansd/his112/11_ColdWar1.html Gina Bua

  11. President Truman warned Japan that unless they surrendered, they could expect “a rain of ruin from the air” On August 6, 1945 at 8:16 A.M., the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb called “Little Boy” on Hiroshima The bomb released the energy equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT, killing 70-80 thousand people and destroying 62,000 buildings instantly Hiroshima http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php?action=photos Trevor Brown

  12. Nagasaki • On August 9th, 1945 at 10:47 AM, the B-29 bomber Bockscar dropped an atomic bomb called “Fat Man” on Nagasaki • The bomb released the energy equivalent of 21,000 kilotons of TNT, killing 70 thousand people instantly, eventually bringing the death toll to 210 thousand • On September 2nd, 1945 Japan officially surrendered aboard the United States Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay ending World War II http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php?action=photos Trevor Brown

  13. Changes to the World • Was it necessary? • Estimated loss of life • Help or hurt the future? • Alternatives to the bomb • Peace • What did you discover in your group • What did we gain? • The lives of 500,000 American soldiers • Ending the war • What did we lose? • The lives of 210,000 Japanese • Loss of input and productivity from all deceased individuals on both sides Trevor Brown

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