The Atomic Bomb: A History Just For Kids!

Book excerpt: Now, from time to time you might hear the term “nuclear bomb” used, while other times you may hear the term “atomic bomb”. What is the difference? Any bomb that uses tiny reactions inside the nucleus of a microscopic atom is, by definition, a “nuclear bomb”. However, the first nuclear bombs were much simpler than today’s bombs, which use multiple steps to produce their large explosions. The first nuclear bombs that were produced relied only on this special microscopic reaction in the atom and so are called “atomic bombs”; and it is this kind that we will be talking about. Find out about this exciting and complex period of time in this kid's book.