Testing+of+nuclear+power

=The Testing of Nuclear Weapons!= By:Niki

Who? (Who has these nuclear weapons?)


 * Algeria
 * Argentina
 * Australia
 * Brazil
 * Canada
 * P.R. China
 * France
 * Germany
 * India
 * Iran
 * Iraq
 * Israel
 * Italy
 * Japan
 * Netherlands
 * North Korea
 * Pakistan
 * Poland
 * Russia
 * South Africa
 * ROC (Taiwan)
 * U.K.
 * United States

The U.S detonated the 1st atomic bomb on July 16, 1945. This bomb was blown up at The Trinity Site. This is why the codename of the bomb was “Trinity”. The U.S. had also set off the first hydrogen bomb. Its codename was “Mike” and this was used so no spies would figure out what it was. Mike was blown on the Marshall Islands on November 1, 1952.

The U.S. is the only ones to use nuclear technology against another country. The first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It is estimated that 120,000 people died from the explosion. Then the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki just three days later on August 9th, 1945. An addition of at least 80,000 people died from the second explosion.

The largest nuclear weapon ever tested was the “Tsor Bomba” of the Soviet Union. It was detonated at the Novaya Zemlya on October 30, 1961 the yield of the weapon was estimated to be over 50 megatons. This bomb was set off to show the rest of the world what the Soviet Union had. This was how most countries showed off they’re nuclear technology.

Towards the end of the war in 1963 many nuclear and non-nuclear states signed a pact saying that they won't test nuclear bombs in the atmosphere, underwater, or in outer space. The treaty allowed underground tests. France continued atmospheric testing until 1974, while China continued until 1980. The last underground test by the United States was in 1992, the Soviet Union in 1990, the U.K in 1991, and both France and China continued until 1996. This treaty was called the Limited Test Ban Treaty.

Later in 1996 the treaty for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was signed. This treaty explained that all nuclear bomb testing had been cut off, meaning no one may test bombs anywhere under any conditions. All members that had signed the treaty had stopped testing. India and Pakistan had not signed the treaty and had both tested until 1998.

How many nuclear tests have their been? Thousands, in fact there has been nearly 1,500 tests carried out just by the United States. Some other countries such as the Soviet Union have tested 715, France with 210 tests, China and the United Kingdom have individually each tested 45 bombs, India and Pakistan have each tested between 5 or 6 bombs, and North Korea with only 1.

From the first nuclear test in 1945 until tests by Pakistan in 1998, there was never a period of over 22 months when no nuclear weapons were being tested. June 1998 to October 2006, when North Korea reported a successful underground test, was the longest time since 1945 with no known nuclear tests.

The Cold War had only started the testing of nuclear weapons. The most recent nuclear test was announced by North Korea on October 9, 2006. As you can see many countries use these tests to proclaim the new technology they possess.

∑ THE DAY THEY CRACKED THE ATOM Carl W Larsen Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file); Dec 3, 1967; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune (1849 - 1985) Pg. I38

∑ Actual Newspaper article Print out

∑ Garmon, Lucille B. "Manhattan Project." World Book Online Reference Center. 2007. [Highland Middle School. 2-5-07.] http://www.worldbookonline.com.ezproxy.cooklib.org:2048/wb/Article?id=ar341940

∑ Inc, Wikimedia Foundation. "Nuclear Testing." Wikipedia. 02 Feb. 2007. GNU Free Documentation. 7 Feb. 2007 . ∑ 2nd page of notes

∑ McKain, Mark. Making and Using the Atomic Bomb. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven P, 2003. 11-226.

∑ Book Notes