the "little boy" and "fat man"
The blast radius of the two bombs and estimated deaths
The inside of the "Little Boy"
The “Little Boy”
Since the shape of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was long and thin, the bomb was deemed “Little Boy”. The radioactive material used for this bomb was uranium 235. The Uranium was divided into two parts which were below critical mass. The bomb was a “gun barrel-type” bomb that used an explosive device to make a portion of the uranium to come into contact with the other. Scientists predicted that the power of the bomb would be the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT. Later on, after analyzing the damage inflicted on Hiroshima, it turned out to be 15,000 tons of TNT.
Dimensions:
Length: Approx. 3 meters (120 inches)
Weight: Approx. 4 tons (9,000 lbs.)
Diameter: Approx. 0.7 meters (28 inches)
Since the shape of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was long and thin, the bomb was deemed “Little Boy”. The radioactive material used for this bomb was uranium 235. The Uranium was divided into two parts which were below critical mass. The bomb was a “gun barrel-type” bomb that used an explosive device to make a portion of the uranium to come into contact with the other. Scientists predicted that the power of the bomb would be the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT. Later on, after analyzing the damage inflicted on Hiroshima, it turned out to be 15,000 tons of TNT.
Dimensions:
Length: Approx. 3 meters (120 inches)
Weight: Approx. 4 tons (9,000 lbs.)
Diameter: Approx. 0.7 meters (28 inches)
The inside of the "Fat Man"
The “Fat Man”
In contrast to the “Little Boy”, the “Fat Man” was rounder and a fatter bomb and that was how it received its name. Instead of Uranium, plutonium was used as the radioactive material. The plutonium was divided into subcritical portions and packed into a spherical case, hence the name “Fat Man”. This was called an “implosion-type” bomb. The destructive energy of the bomb is the equivalent to 21,000 tons of TNT.
Dimensions:
Length: Approx. 3.2 meters (128 inches)
Weight: Approx. 4.5 tons (10,000 lbs.)
Diameter: Approx. 1.5 meters (60 inches)
Element: Plutonium 239
In contrast to the “Little Boy”, the “Fat Man” was rounder and a fatter bomb and that was how it received its name. Instead of Uranium, plutonium was used as the radioactive material. The plutonium was divided into subcritical portions and packed into a spherical case, hence the name “Fat Man”. This was called an “implosion-type” bomb. The destructive energy of the bomb is the equivalent to 21,000 tons of TNT.
Dimensions:
Length: Approx. 3.2 meters (128 inches)
Weight: Approx. 4.5 tons (10,000 lbs.)
Diameter: Approx. 1.5 meters (60 inches)
Element: Plutonium 239