How Nuclear Bombs Work

Hiroshima Peace Memorial stands as a visible reminder of the day the Japanese city was bombed on Aug. 6, 1945. After that fateful day, the structure was the only thing still standing in the vicinity of the explosion.

The first nuclear bomb meant to kill humans exploded over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. Three days later, a second bomb detonated over Nagasaki. The death and destruction wrought by these weapons was unprecedented and might have, in another world with another race of beings, ended the nuclear threat right then and there.
But the events in Japan, although they brought a close to World War II, marked the beginning of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Between 1945 and the late 1980s, both sides invested huge amounts of money in nuclear weapons and increased their stockpiles significantly, mostly as a means to deter conflict. The threat of catastrophic destruction from The Bomb loomed over everyone and everything.

How Rocket-Propelled Grenades Work

You may have heard the term rocket-propelled grenade, and you've probably seen news images of their use and the destruction they can cause, particularly if you've kept up with current world events in the Middle East. Rocket-propelled grenades are a commonly used explosive projectile weapon, used by many armies across the world. They play a major part in contemporary warfare, and are also highly used among insurgent and terrorist groups.
But why? Why are rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) so prevalent? Where did they come from and just how do they work? It's obvious they're more than just a normal grenade simply because they're rocket propelled, but just what does that mean? In this article, we'll investigate the origins of rocket-propelled grenades, how they're used and what makes them so common in military conflicts all over the world.

How Rail Guns Work

Gunpowder has long been the propellant of choice to launch a projectile from a weapon. But the fine gray powder does have three major limitations:

• Gunpowder must be carried with the projectile, making the entire round heavier.
• Ordnance based on black powder is volatile, and so difficult to handle and transport.
• The muzzle velocity of projectiles propelled by gunpowder is generally limited to about 4,000 feet (about 1,219 meters) per second.

Is it possible to overcome these challenges? One solution is the electromagnetic rail gun, or rail gun for short. Using a magnetic field powered by electricity, a rail gun can accelerate a projectile up to 52,493 feet (16,000 meters) per second. And while current Navy guns have a maximum range of 12 miles, rail guns can hit a target 250 miles away in six minutes.
In this article, we'll discuss how rail guns work, how they can be used and the limitations of this technology.