the atomic bomb & nuclear technology
DESCRIPTION
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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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 8/1/1941
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor 12/7/1941
US Declares war on Japan 12/8/1941
Trevor Brown
Background on the US and Japanese conflict leading to the use of the atomic bomb:
How did the bomb lead to new lines of scientific inquiry and affect how people live and work?
Luke Suhr
Background Knowledge
Luke Suhr
• What is radiation?
– Alpha
– Beta
– Gamma
• What’s so special about uranium?
www.reich-chemistry.wikispaces.comwww.mei.gov.on.ca
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
Luke Suhr
www.ftp.irtc.orgwww.lancs.ac.uk
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
The Decision to Drop the Bomb• What agencies participated in
the decision?
– Executive Branch (President)
– Scientists
– Department of Defense
• Joint Chiefs
• Meteorologists
Gina Bua
• What factors contributed to the selection of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
– Favorable weather conditions
– Industrial targets
– Lack of prior bomb damagehttp://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.phphttp://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/index.htm
The Decision to Drop the Bomb• Where did the scientists want
the bomb to be dropped?
– Japan (Oppenheimer)
– Uninhabited island (Chicago Metallurgical Lab)
Gina Bua
• 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
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 Gina Buahttp://archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=511
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
Gina Bua
http://www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/english/notice/photographs.html
http://www.virginiawestern.edu/faculty/vwhansd/his112/11_ColdWar1.html
Hiroshima
• 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
Trevor Brownhttp://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php?action=photos
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
Trevor Brownhttp://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php?action=photos
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