Table of ContentsCreation/TestingUse of Nuclear WeaponsHuman and Ecological RisksThis report will cover topics on nuclear war. The following will be covered in this topic: the creation/testing of nuclear weapons, where the bombs were used, the human and ecological risks, and the environmental risks that accompany and after a nuclear war. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe Creation/TestingIn 1938, the first atomic explosives were thought possible thanks to three men named Fritz Strassman, Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner discovered nuclear fission in a laboratory in Berlin, Germany. Plutonium-239 and uranium-235 are the most common radioactive materials used in nuclear weapons. The reason they are more commonly used is because they are more stable, allowing for easier transportation. The first nuclear bomb tests began in Alamogordo, New Mexico on July 16, 1945. The first nuclear bomb was tested and dropped in the desert, creating a mushroom cloud. cloud at approximately 40,000 feet altitude. This is what started the nuclear age. Nuclear detonation can occur in two ways. The first method is nuclear fission when an atom splits into two or more nuclei. Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, is the exact opposite and combines two atomic nuclei which then release a large amount of energy causing the explosion. Use of Nuclear Weapons On August 6, 1945, the United States Army carried out a mission to drop the first nuclear weapon ever deployed during the war. The bomb's name was "The Little Boy." It was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. The explosion was estimated to have a force of 13,000 kilotons, it leveled the city in a radius of eight kilometers and is estimated to have killed around 80,000 people instantly. Many after the explosion later died from nuclear exposure. After the first bomb was dropped, the Japanese showed no signs of capitulation even though they had lost many lives and the Nazi party had already lost the war. The American plan was to drop another bomb on the city of Nagasaki. They initially did not intend to drop the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, but instead the pilots wanted to bomb the city of Kokura, where the Japanese had some of the largest munitions factories. But because of recent firebombing raids on the city, they headed to Nagasaki as a secondary. The name of the bomb was "The Fat Man" when the bomb made contact with the ground, estimates were that around 40,000 people died. Human and ecological risks After the explosion, the cloud or mushroom cloud from the detonation of a nuclear bomb carries most of the radioactive materials into the atmosphere. When the material eventually comes down, it becomes very harmful to humans. Small surface materials, pebbles, rocks and materials used to construct the bomb will also be released into the atmosphere. Larger materials such as pebbles, rocks, and materials used to create the bomb will fall within a few hours, while dirt, dust, or ash will remain in the atmosphere for a few days. As it rises, much of the atmosphere is incorporated into the raindrops which then fall back to earth. When it mixes with water and rains in a lake or over a city, animals and people will be able to drink it, making the water contaminated and undrinkable. Birth defects and cancer will also play a role.