There are many different types of nuclear bombs, varying from the bullet and barrel style of nuclear fission, to others such as the fusion style. The bombs that employ fission use the process to break up uranium atoms, and in turn releasing energy. The other type of bomb employs fusion, combining certain elemental ingredients, in turn releasing massive amounts of energy. When compared, fusion bombs are far more powerful. The energy released when molecules are combined exceeds the energy released upon the breaking of bonds.

More specifically, the barrel and bullet type weapon employs a barometric detonator behind a conventional explosive. The barometric detonator was to go off at a certain pressure. Once the pressure outside the weapon was equal to the pressure within, the bomb was put in motion. Contrary to popular belief the bomb doesn’t go off when it hits the ground, its detonated while still in mid-air. The conventional explosive then propels the uranium projectile down a short barrel towards a nuclear fuel pinhead. Once these come together a rapid chain reaction occurs, resulting in a very large explosion. The splitting of uranium atoms releases a lot of heat and energy.

On a different note, fusion bombs employ a very different system. In these systems, neutrons are fired at lithium deuteride, which results in a helium atom as well as deuterium. This newly made deuterium can then react with tritium. The end products of this reaction are a helium atom and a single neutron. This reaction happens along a chain, and immense amounts of energy are released. The amount of energy released from the fusion of atomic particles is far more than the energy released from breaking them up.

Additionally, if either of these types of weapons is encased in a jacket of cobalt, the amount of radiation released after detonation multiplies extensively. It’s been said that if too many of these weapons are detonated, nearly all life on Earth would disappear. The weapon would employ both fission and fusion. Instead of generating a fast force by the breaking down of uranium, the cobalt is rather transmuted into a more stable form. This process releases damaging gamma rays. The wavelength of gamma rays is so short; they can pass through nearly everything. They can aid in the cause of malignant tumors, and full blown cancers. It’s pretty evident that we as a collective cannot allow for things such as these to be constructed. Global massacre is the only logical end.

Source: http://physics.info/weapons/