Would a powerful non-nuclear explosion look the same as an equivalent nuclear ex

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   UnnamedHaraldposted 11 years ago

   Would a powerful non-nuclear explosion look the same as an equivalent nuclear explosion?
   
   The British used 450 tons of explosive in a series of mines under the German lines. If they had packed in 20,000 tons, the equivalent of the first atomic test, would the result have looked like the blast at Trinity?
   
   

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2. 84

   AlexK2009posted 11 years ago

   The major differences between a nuclear and non-nuclear explosion are that the nuclear explosion creates ionising radiation and fallout and effectively emanates from a point source  as compared to a non-nuclear one. 
   
   I think that if the two explosions had the same energy they would look different because of the larger space occupied by the conventional explosive. I am not sure of the details of appearance but I think the cloud would be broader and fatter.

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3. 74

   Pavlo Badovskyyposted 11 years ago

   Even a smaller amount of explosives when blown up will look exactly like nuclear explosion. The question just in size of the "mushroom", I think.... But i never saw anything like that to compare

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      AlexK2009posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      As I recall, the mushroom cloud arises when the eject reach a certain layer in the atmosphere, so it will appear only if the explosion sends enough matter high enough.

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4. 87

   gmarquardtposted 11 years ago

   I heard a report that when the Americans used a Fuel Air Explosive over a bunker complex during the Gulf War of 1990, some British ground troops actually thought it was a small nuclear device due to the mushroom cloud that appeared overhead. I don't remember where I heard that though, unfortunately!

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5. 61

   darklandposted 11 years ago

   It depends what you mean by "look like".  The forces in a nuclear explosion, especially one caused by a modern, advanced device are physically bizarre, and so are nothing like a conventional detonation, no matter what the kiloton yield. These devices cause a fission-fusion-fission reaction (or worse) and have strange effects on the point where matter and energy meet. 
   Do they look similar to the naked eye? Possibly, but that's where their similarity ends.

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