Difference between hydrogen bomb and atomic bomb – All you need to know

‘Hydrogen bomb’ has come into limelight after the official Korean Central News Agency stated that North Korea has developed a hydrogen bomb which can be loaded into the country’s new intercontinental ballistic missile.

But what actually the hydrogen bomb is? And how is it different from the atomic bomb?

Before discussing about the hydrogen bomb, let’s talk about its history. It was first successfully tested by the United States over 60 years ago. Thereafter, countries like Russia, UK, China and France also successfully made it for themselves.

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Difference between hydrogen bomb and atomic bomb:

Based on the splitting atoms phenomenon, an atomic bomb derives its destructive force from ‘nuclear fission’ to release energy. The atom bombs were dropped for the first and only time by the United States on Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during the World War II. The nuclear fission technology was used in the making atom bombs.

On the other hand, hydrogen bomb is based on the ‘nuclear fusion’ technology. In order to release more energy, atoms have been fused together in the making of such bombs.

Hydrogen bombs use fusion, the same way that powers the Sun or any other star. Isotopes of hydrogen are forced together to release a much bigger blast — hundreds times powerful than the nuclear weapon that have been used in warfare.

Earlier in January 2016, North Korea’s claim of testing hydrogen bomb was announced and at that time also the US, Japan and South Korea had decided to launch a united and strong international response against the country.

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