For a nuclear weapon to explode normally, the fissionable material in its core must be assembled very quickly. For technical reasons, a nuclear bomb developed by a terrorist group would probably not achieve such rapid assembly. As a result of its slow assembly, such a bomb would
A) explode powerfully, but at a relatively unpredictable moment. To shorten the time window over which the explosion could occur, external nuclear triggers would be needed.
B) not explode because there would not be enough momentum present to push the neutrons into the fissionable nuclei of its core.
C) overheat and push itself apart during the assembly, producing only a weak explosion.
D) not explode because there would not be enough energy present to push the neutrons into the fissionable nuclei of its core.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For a nuclear weapon to detonate effectively, the fissionable material must be assembled rapidly to achieve a critical mass before the device can disassemble itself due to the initial stages of the nuclear reaction. Slow assembly would likely result in the device overheating and pushing itself apart, leading to a failure to reach critical mass and thus only producing a weak explosion, if any.

For a Nuclear Weapon to Explode Normally, the Fissionable Material