Albert Einstein's Involvement With The Atomic Bomb

1923 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Albert Einstein's contributions to the world

Born on March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein is considered to be one of the greatest physicist and mathematician to date. He grew up in a life of poverty in Munich, Germany, with his parents Pauline and Hermann Einstein. He was unable to communicate with ease until later in his life. However, Einstein continued with his education, starting at age 6 in 1885. In 1894, his family had relocated to Italy, because of his father’s failed business. By 16 had discovered his love of geometry and its clear, certain proofs, and had mastered calculus, which he used later for physics problems. At this age, he had ideas of the implications of what could be done with waves of light, which would later influence his theory of relativity (Johnshepler). This is where, …show more content…

His involvement with the atomic bomb was heavily influenced by World War II in the 1940s as well as nuclear chemistry developments. It involved the idea that there is a relationship between the mass of an object and the amount of energy it can be converted to using the speed of light. This leads into the idea of using Uranium and Plutonium to produce energy in atomic bombs through nuclear fission, a popular theory going around at the time, which was a huge influence for Einstein. Nuclear fission, or the splitting of the nucleus of an atom, generates energy and causes an explosion. Each nuclear fission reaction requires a certain critical mass, or the amount of substance needed to start a chain reaction that will lead to an explosion. In the first atomic bomb, the Little Boy, Uranium-235 was used, as Uranium-238 fails to complete nuclear fission. Gaseous diffusion, centrifuges, electromagnetic separation, and liquid thermal diffusion were all possible methods for obtaining Uranium-235, as only 0.7% is found naturally. The Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima in August of 1945. Later, another atomic bomb, the Fat Man, was also developed. This bomb utilized the same chemical and physical ideas of critical mass, nuclear fission, and binding energies, but used Plutonium-239 instead of Uranium-235, which because of its properties affected the size and design of the bomb itself. Although Plutonium-240 is more abundant, its radioactivity would increase the rate of reaction, consequently lowering the total energy output. The new design, designed by physicist Seth Neddermeyer, squeezed and consolidated Plutonium very quickly, increasing its density and pressure, and in effect increasing the total energy released. The Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945 as well (Atomic Heritage Foundation). The 1940s and World War II tied in with this well for

Show More
Related

  • Theory of Relativity and the Special Theory of Relativity by Albert Einstein

    1835 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since his birth, Albert Einstein has had the most beneficial effects on the events of the world. Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1979 and as a boy displayed an unquenchable curiosity for understanding science and all of its mysteries. As Albert Einstein’s life progressed, he found himself working as a patent clerk in Bern. While working as a patent clerk in Bern, Albert Einstein had a plethora amount of time which was devoted to formulating his theories. Also during this time, Albert Einstein received his Doctorate degree and started working on one of his most influential papers, which was the Special Theory of Relativity. After Einstein completed his Special Theory of Relativity, he moved onto creating the General Theory of Relativity which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. With the creation of both the General Theory of Relativity and the Special Theory of Relativity, Einstein was able to create his Theory of Relativity which comprises of both theories. Other scientific discoveries that Einstein made are the existence of the photon, the theory of Brownian motion, the concept of Mass-energy equivalence, the photoelectric effect, the first quantum theory of specific heats, the Einstein-Brilloui-Keller method for finding the quantum mechanical version of a classical system , Bose-Einstein statistics and Bose-Einstein condensates, the EPR paradox, and although his efforts were unsuccessful, in his last thirty years of life Einstein explored various classical unified field theories that could account for both electromagnetism and gravitation and possibly quantum mechanics.

    Read More

  • Enrico Fermi's Role In Making The Atomic Bomb

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1939, the scientific world had discovered that Germany was building an atomic bomb. Albert Einstein had fled german prosecution earlier in his life. Upon hearing of Germany’s knowledge of splitting an uranium atom, he felt he must inform President Roosevelt about this. Roosevelt didn’t see the need in the atomic bomb but agreed to it anying. The code name for the atomic bomb was The Manhattan Project. Columbia University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Chicago started the research for the atomic bomb. Enrico Fermi led a group of physicists to create the first controlled nuclear chain reaction underneath Stagg Field. Stagg Field was the University of Chicago’s football field. Here is where the first controlled

    Read More

  • Atomic Bomb

    574 Words  | 2 Pages

    Atomic Bomb The use of the atomic bombs on Japan was necessary for the revenge of the Americans. These bombs took years to make due to a problematic equation. The impact of the bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people and the radiation is still killing people today. People today still wonder why the bombs were dropped. If these bombs weren’t dropped on the Japanese the history of the world would have been changed forever. The Atomic bomb took 6 years to develop (1939-1945) for scientists to work on a equation to make the U-235 into a bomb. The most complicated process in this was trying to produce enough uranium to sustain a chain reaction. The bombs used on the cities cost about $2 billion to develop, this also making the U.S. wanting to use them against Japan. “Hiroshima was a major military target and we have spent 2 billion dollars on the greatest scientific gamble in history- and won.” (3) The bomb dropped on Hiroshima weighted 4.5 tons and the bomb used on Nagasaki weighted 10 kilotons. On July 16, 1945, the first ever atomic bomb was tested in the Jamez Mountains in Northern New Mexico, code named “Gadget.” The single weapon ultimately dropped on Hiroshima, nicknamed “Little Boy,” produced the amount of approximately twenty- thousand tons of TNT, which is roughly seven times greater than all of the bombs dropped by all the allies on all of Germany in 1942. The first Japanese City bomb was Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. An American B-29 bomber, named Enola Gay, flown by the pilot Paul W. Tibbets, dropped the “Little Boy” uranium atomic bomb. Three days later a second bomb named ”Fat Boy,” made of plutonium was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. After being released, it took approximately one minute for Little Boy to reach the point of explosion, which was about 2,000 feet. The impact of the bombs on the cities and people was massive. Black rain containing large amounts of nuclear fallout fell as much as 30km from the original blast site. A mushroom cloud rose to twenty thousand feet in the air, and sixty percent of the city was destroyed. The shock wave and its reverse effect reached speeds close to those of the speed of sound. The wind generated by the bombs destroyed most of the houses and buildings within a 1.

    Read More

  • Should have the Atomic Bomb been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the first and current only use of nuclear weapons in wartime history. This weaponry had been a project conducted by the United States, and was tested in the final stages of World War Two, on Japan. Working in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada, the Manhattan project marked the construction of this weaponry. The general research had originally begun in 1939 and was developed in fear of the Germans having their own atomic bombs. With the defeat of Germany in May 1945, plans began to use the atomic bombs against Japan. The Hiroshima bomb, known as Little Boy was a ‘gun-type fission weapon’ with a rare isotope of uranium-235. The Nagasaki bomb, known as the Fat Man was an ‘implosion-type nuclear weapon using plutonium-239, this bomb was proved to be more powerful and efficient. The releasing of such weaponry caused catastrophic destruction, despite their minimal efficiency and many have argued if this design should have been put into action. The side which is supported throughout the discussion will be the bombs should have been dropped.

    Read More

  • The Allies and the Atomic Bomb

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    A single deadly weapon that could destroy the whole world was successfully developed during World War II. This weapon was no other weapon but the atomic bomb. Under the cooperation of the major powers in the Allied forces, the atomic bomb was produced. Soon after the success of the production of the atomic bomb, the major powers in the Allies agreed to use the atomic bomb. Due to their hatred against the Japanese, the Allies dropped the atomic bomb on Japan and showed no regrets for carrying out the plan. The United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and China are among the major powers of the Allied Forces that unanimously agreed to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Atomic Bomb

    1704 Words  | 4 Pages

    A few days later on August 9, 1945, the city of Nagasaki received the same fate when the bomb code named “Fat Man” was dropped. “Early in 1939, the world's scientific community discovered that German physicists had learned the secrets of splitting the uranium atom and word spread quickly and several countries began to duplicate the experiment.” Albert Einstein warned President Roosevelt that Germany may have already built an atomic bomb. Roosevelt did not see an urgency for such a project, but agreed to proceed slowly. In 1941, British scientists pushed America to develop an atomic weapon.

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    When looking at the aftermath of the atomic bomb in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima the devastation it caused is evident. The majority of the population in Japan could have never imagined such a catastrophic event. On August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945 massive amounts of lives were changed forever when an atomic bomb fell from the sky and created an explosion as bright as the sun. These two bombs were the first and only accounts of nuclear warfare. (“Atomic Bomb is…”) The impact that the two bombs left on the cities of Japan was tremendous. The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima devastated the country through structural damage, long term medical effects, expenses, and the massive loss of life.

    Read More

  • Albert Einstein's Role In Building The Atomic Bomb

    548 Words  | 2 Pages

    The imminent threat of war pulled the trigger on the atomic race as it became clear that whoever could split the atom could build the atomic bomb, and whoever could build the bomb could win the war. During the mid-1900’s there were only three countries capable of splitting the atom: Germany, Japan, and the United States. The United States was able to win, but had it not have been for the sabotage of Vemork, and the saving grace of some of the greatest scientists of our time, the outcome of WW2 could have been drastically different.

    Read More

  • DBQ part 2

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    The U.S. decided to develop the atomic bomb based on the fear they had for the safety of the nation. In August 1939 nuclear physicists sent manuscripts to Albert Einstein in fear the Germany might use the new knowledge of fission on the uranium nucleus as way to construct weapons. In response, on August 2, 1939, Einstein sent a letter to President Roosevelt concerning the pressing matter to use uranium to create such weapons before Germany (Doc A-1). To support the development of the atomic bomb, President Roosevelt approved the production of the bomb following the receipt that the bomb is feasible on January 19, 1942. From this day to December of 1942, many laboratories and ...

    Read More

  • history of the Atomic Bomb

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    The atomic bomb1 is the most destructive weapon known to mankind. A bomb of this nature is capable of obliterating anything up to four square miles and anything reaching outside that area receives very extreme damage. Albert Einstein was the man who had convinced the United States to research the Atomic Bomb.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Atomic Bomb

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    World War II brought up many new technologies for warfare. Advanced on existing developments such as weaponry, ships, vehicles air crafts, navigational devices and medicine are just a few broad examples of developments in warfare during this time in United States and World history. One development, however, changed the entire way of warfare. The Atomic bomb was developed during this time out of fears that the Germans had the same technologies, or at least were working to obtain it. Once the United States had this technological capability of producing atomic weapons, the way of fighting was changed. Two bombs were dropped on Japan in August of 1945, one on the city of Hiroshima and the other on the city of Nagasaki. Afterward, the ear of atomic diplomacy came up in American international relations, which as we have seen today, has led to the development of even stronger, more deadly weaponry and bombs. The bombing of Japan also brings up the still prevalent debate of whether the bombings were justifiable or not. Historians Gar Alperovitz, Robert P. Newman and Barton Bernstein all have written essays expressing their opinions in the matter.

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    The atomic bomb was first created in the early twentieth century. Physicists in the United States and Europe had discovered that the fission of uranium could be used to create a deadly explosive weapon. A letter was sent to U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt by Albert Einstein that described this discovery and warned him of its potential dangers if developed by other nations. The Manhattan Project was established by the U.S. government in 1942 so the country could develop an atomic device. A team under the command of United States Army Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves designed and built the first atomic bombs, directed by J. Robert Oppenheimer. This type of bomb was first tested at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The amount of energy that was released by this explosion alone was equivalent to twenty thousand tons of TNT.

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1945, such a mechanism was created. The atomic bomb was created after many years of the study of atoms. Finally, a way to split the atoms was born. Germany was the first to try making a bomb. Efforts failed, but were picked up by the United States. Albert Einstein, although credited as the father of the atomic bomb, only lent support to begin American development. As it was to be, Robert Oppenheimer was the father of the atomic bomb. He directed the laboratory at Los Alamos, where the atomic bomb was designed and built. The whole development in the making of an atomic bomb was called the Manhattan Project. The first bomb was tested on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico. The end result was the dropping of two atomic bombs by the United States on Hiroshima. People had different opinions on the bomb, but they may have come to one conclusion had they known about the history of the atomic bomb, how it was created, and the effects the bomb had in the economy.

    Read More

  • The Effects of the Atomic Bomb

    1337 Words  | 3 Pages

    The nuclear bomb was the most devastating weapon ever created by man. It was developed between 1942 and 1945 during the second World War. The project to build the worlds first atomic weapon was called The Manhattan Project. The nuclear bomb was based on the idea of splitting an atom to create energy, this is called fission. Three bombs were created, “Trinity”, “Little Boy”, and “Fat Man”. “Trinity” was dropped on a test site in New Mexico on July 16, 1945, proving the theories, engineering and mathematics of the bomb to be correct. Shortly after that, not more than 2 months, the U.S. performed the first actual nuclear attack in the history of war. The bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on the town of Hiroshima, instantly killing thousands. “Fat Man” was dropped shortly after on the town of Nagasaki. After the bombing almost all scientist involved with the creation of the bomb regretted its construction and spoke out against the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

    Read More

  • War: Nuclear Power

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world’s conflict over nuclear weapons all began with President Truman’s decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. World War II was coming to a close but Japan would not surrender. So, on August 6, 1945, the bomb Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima. It was triggered by a gun mechanism where a small piece of uranium-235 was fired down a barrel into a larger piece. This caused an explosion of 15 kilotons, or 15,000 tons of TNT, killing 90,000 to 166,000 people. Surprisingly, Japan did not surrender, so on August 9, 1945, the bomb Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki. It was triggered when shock waves from high explosives set off the plutonium-239 core. It caused an explosion of 20 kilotons, or 20,000 tons of TNT, and killed 60,000 to 80,000 people. This second attack really sent the message to Japan, and they finally surrendered on August 15, 1945. World War II was finally over, but the Cold War began with the reveal of the United States’ nuclear power. It is believed that dropping the bombs saved both Japanese and American lives by ending the w...

    Read More

More about Albert Einstein's Involvement With The Atomic Bomb

Open Document