Atomic bombs were powerful weapons that used nuclear fission to release a massive amount of energy and cause widespread destruction. They were first used by the United States in World War II against Japan, resulting in unprecedented devastation.
Related terms
Nuclear fission: The process of splitting an atom's nucleus into two smaller nuclei, releasing a huge amount of energy.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The two Japanese cities that were targeted by the United States with atomic bombs during World War II.
Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, which can be harmful to living organisms.