The Atomic Bomb

1. The Atomic Bomb

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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 that were laid down on August 4th, 1945.

8. 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 know 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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>.