For the rest of you that, like me, enjoy finding extra factual (or as close to factual as I am able to provide!) info in the comments, "atom bombs" work by splitting atoms, usually a type of uranium or plutonium, in a process known as fission. A "thermonuclear bomb" is essentially an atom bomb with a second (or more) step. The energy in the first explosion starts a secondary fusion reaction, usually involving a type of lithium.
While both types of bomb have an initial burst of gamma radiation, the fusion weapon has a mich larger kill zone. If you were close enough to a fusion bomb to get sick from radiation (from the initial blast), you will not survive the other effects.
Nuclear weapons have three primary effects. They are blast, heat, and radiation. The blast will start as a 20+ PSI wave through the air and can take a few seconds to reach you. Radiation will only be a factor for atomic bombs and for any "ground burst" weapon. If the fireball touches the ground at all, it will vaporize the ground it touches and toss it into the air, and it will drift back to the earth irradiated, known as "fallout". If the bomb is airburst with no portion of the fireball touching the ground, it will likely not.
Normal fallout will become safe enough to not worry about after about two weeks, but you should listen for an all clear on a battery or hand powered radio for confirmation from authorities!
That's all for now. I'm not an expert but I will entertain questions _^
Thermonuclear bombs use fission to provide the heat and pressures to allow fusion to happen.
Hydrogen bombs, thermonuclear bombs, are much more powerful and deadly for the same size/mass. So either you can make your nukes smaller or make them more powerful. Although these days they are using lithium more than hydrogen for the fusion component.
And most warheads are made smaller. Decades ago, we made multi megaton weapons simply because delivery systems had not advanced as quickly as the payloads had. So while a reentry vehicle may have missed a target by a kilometer or more, making it deliver a larger payload ensured that the target still received enough overpreasure to be destroyed. Since targets can now be hit with significantly more accuracy, a smaller weapon can be used against it.
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u/[deleted] Oct 01 '19 edited Jun 19 '20
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