The United States was at war with the Axis powers of World War Two. Rumors that Germany was developing a weapon with destructive force that was yet unseen by the world. Such a device could give them the edge to win the war against the allies. This rumor triggered fear with American scientists and physicists and caused president Roosevelt to create a project to research and develop their own weapon before the Nazis. The Manhattan project was created to research and develop technology with the destructive force to exterminate mankind and a psychological impact that changed the world forever.
Nuclear Fission was discovered using uranium in 1938 by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann, Scientists from Germany. Fission is the process of splitting an atom, …show more content…
Over 82,000 People were employed at Clinton Engineer Works by 1945 making Oak ridge the 4th largest city in Tennessee. Producing enriched uranium to the quality required for the bomb was a very slow process that had to be completed one atom at a time, getting enough for a bomb would take years. Glenn Seaborg, an American chemist proposed the use of plutonium. Plutonium was another fissile material. A fissile material was one that could sustain the nuclear chain reaction of fission. Plutonium was easier and cheaper to produce than enriched uranium. Groves had the Hanford Site built in Washington State to produce plutonium. Plutonium could be used to build bombs faster, fast enough to test them, giving them an edge over the uranium type bomb. However a plutonium variant of the uranium bomb would not work. The uranium bomb was a simple design that resembled a gun. A large cylinder of enriched uranium would slide down a tube into another piece or enriched uranium. The collision caused the uranium to reach critical mass, the mass required to sustain a nuclear chain reaction, and release a massive amount of energy in the form of an explosion. Using the collision of plutonium in the gun design would simply melt. The plutonium variation of the bomb involved a soft ball sized piece of plutonium with explosives placed …show more content…
The Manhattan Project and the development of the bomb was a turning point in history, just like the development of fire, it changed the world forever. The development of the bomb was hidden from the public though it involved thousands of people in sites all over the United States. The Soviet Union was very interested in nuclear weapons and, despite the program’s secrecy kept informed on the development process. The Trinity test was the largest display of manmade destruction at that time. The bomb was so powerful it could be considered the first shot of the Cold
Nuclear Fission was discovered using uranium in 1938 by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann, Scientists from Germany. Fission is the process of splitting an atom, …show more content…
Over 82,000 People were employed at Clinton Engineer Works by 1945 making Oak ridge the 4th largest city in Tennessee. Producing enriched uranium to the quality required for the bomb was a very slow process that had to be completed one atom at a time, getting enough for a bomb would take years. Glenn Seaborg, an American chemist proposed the use of plutonium. Plutonium was another fissile material. A fissile material was one that could sustain the nuclear chain reaction of fission. Plutonium was easier and cheaper to produce than enriched uranium. Groves had the Hanford Site built in Washington State to produce plutonium. Plutonium could be used to build bombs faster, fast enough to test them, giving them an edge over the uranium type bomb. However a plutonium variant of the uranium bomb would not work. The uranium bomb was a simple design that resembled a gun. A large cylinder of enriched uranium would slide down a tube into another piece or enriched uranium. The collision caused the uranium to reach critical mass, the mass required to sustain a nuclear chain reaction, and release a massive amount of energy in the form of an explosion. Using the collision of plutonium in the gun design would simply melt. The plutonium variation of the bomb involved a soft ball sized piece of plutonium with explosives placed …show more content…
The Manhattan Project and the development of the bomb was a turning point in history, just like the development of fire, it changed the world forever. The development of the bomb was hidden from the public though it involved thousands of people in sites all over the United States. The Soviet Union was very interested in nuclear weapons and, despite the program’s secrecy kept informed on the development process. The Trinity test was the largest display of manmade destruction at that time. The bomb was so powerful it could be considered the first shot of the Cold