...“The Birth of a Little Boy: The Manhattan Project” “The Birth of a Little Boy: The Manhattan Project” In 1919 a New Zealand Nobel Peace Prize winning chemist working at Cambridge University in England would lay the foundation for one of the most prolific and destructive weapons the world has ever seen. Ernest Rutherford changed the way scientists looked at atomic structure when he successfully changed several atoms of nitrogen into oxygen. In this process he discovered the proton. Rutherford’s scientific discovery would get a boost in 1932 when his then colleague, James Chadwick, discovered the final piece to the atomic puzzle, the neutron. With the complete atomic structure established, the process of further breaking down elements began. One element of particular interest was uranium, the heaviest element on the periodic table. Uranium was broken down into three categories by their number of neutrons: uranium-234, uranium-235, and uranium-238.1 Six years later uranium-235 would become a focal point in nuclear research. The year 1938 would bring about the next phase of nuclear warfare, nuclear fission. Radiochemists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, were working in their lab in Berlin, bombarding different elements with neutrons. As they worked down the periodic table they stumbled on something interesting. Uranium reacted significantly more to neutron bombarding than the other elements they had tested. Additional testing led Hahn and Strassman to hypothesize...
Words: 1417 - Pages: 6
...The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a significant turning point for the United States in World War II. The rumors of the creation of an atomic bomb put the Allies on edge; each wanting to be the first to create such a destructive technology. The reason behind why the US chose to execute this project, the processes and events that took place, and the subsequent effects of the project depict the importance of this major US event. To fully understand the importance of the Manhattan Project, it is first imperative to understand the reasoning behind why the United States chose to pursue the project. In 1939, Allied scientists had fears that Nazi Germany might develop nuclear weapons (The Manhattan Project). At this point in the War, Hitler was at his most powerful. He had one of the largest followings in history and his reign was producing devastating outcomes for the Jewish population (The Manhattan Project). Once the scientific community discovered that German physicists could split a uranium atom, action needed to be taken (The Manhattan Project). Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi Germany to live in the US, felt as though President Roosevelt should be made aware of the dangers of atomic technology being in the hands of Hitler (Ushistory). A letter written by Einstein was received by Roosevelt, yet the President found no reason to immediately respond to such a situation (Ushistory). However, 1941 began the American effort to construct an atomic bomb (The Manhattan...
Words: 2298 - Pages: 10
...Foundation, 2012) This paper will discuss the creation and use of the first two atomic bombs. Early in 1939, German physicists had learned the secrets of splitting a uranium atom. Fears soon spread over the possibility of Nazi scientists utilizing that energy to produce a bomb capable of unspeakable destruction. Scientists Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi persecution, and Enrico Fermi, who escaped Fascist Italy, were now living in the United States. They agreed that President Franklin Roosevelt, must be informed of the dangers of atomic technology in the hands of the Axis powers. In late 1941, the American started to design and build an atomic bomb, which later received its code name, the Manhattan Project, which was named after one of the initial sites of research, Columbia University in Manhattan, New York. Nuclear facilities were built at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Hanford, Washington. The main assembly plant was built at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Robert Oppenheimer and Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves was put in charge of putting the pieces together at Los Alamos. After the final bill was tallied, nearly $2 billion had been spent on research and development of the...
Words: 1203 - Pages: 5
...Manhattan Project Research Paper Nuclear research all started when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered into World War II. When the United States realized that Germany attempted to build an atomic bomb, Americans began to concentrate on their research about creating an atomic bomb. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Manhattan Project, which included a group of top scientists, under General Leslie R. Groves, who worked around the clock to try to develop an atomic bomb within three years. The Americans and the British combined their efforts to research the development of the bomb and created plants and factories to work in. They created plants for three separate processes: electromagnetic, gaseous diffusion, and thermal diffusion. These plants helped create the plutonium and uranium 235 needed to manufacture the atomic bomb. The secrecy of the Manhattan Project was essential in order to develop the atomic bombs to end World War II. The United States and Great Britain kept the development of the atomic bomb a secret. In order to keep the secret, Groves spread the work out between laboratories so that the people working on the bomb could not figure out they were manufacturing. The members of the Manhattan Project asked the scientists questions about the bomb, and they gave answers back, but they did not know what the responses were for. The project consisted of so many restrictions for the employees in order to keep the secrecy...
Words: 1420 - Pages: 6
...The Manhattan Project Nuclear research all started when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered into World War II. When the United States realized that Germany attempted to build an atomic bomb, Americans began to concentrate on their research about creating an atomic bomb more heavily. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Manhattan Project, which included a group of top scientists, under General Leslie R. Groves, who worked around the clock to try to develop an atomic bomb within three years (Bondi 493). The Americans and the British combined their efforts to research the development of the bomb and created plants and factories to work in (“The Atomic Bomb…” 257). They created plants for three separate processes: electromagnetic, gaseous diffusion, and thermal diffusion. These plants helped create the plutonium and uranium 235 needed to manufacture the atomic bomb (Gerdes 142). The secrecy of the Manhattan Project was essential in order to develop the atomic bombs to end World War II. The United States and Great Britain kept the development of the atomic bomb a secret (Bondi 493). In order to keep the secret, Groves spread the work out between laboratories so that the people working on the bomb could not figure out they were manufacturing. The members of the Manhattan Project asked the scientists questions about the bomb, and they gave answers back, but they did not know what the responses were for. The project consisted of so many restrictions...
Words: 1557 - Pages: 7
...In 1938 Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman were two German scientists who demonstrated nuclear fission. Nuclear fission released an enormous amount of energy called nuclear energy that can be used in many ways, including a dangerous weapon. They found that they could split the nucleus of a uranium atom by bombarding it with neutrons. As a result, the uranium nucleus splits some of its mass to be converted to energy. Other physicists noticed that the fission of one uranium atom gave off extra neutrons, which could in turn split other uranium atoms, starting a chain reaction. Therefore, in theory this energy could be harnessed to make a powerful bomb. Due to this, the development of the ultimate power took many scientists a lot of hard work and dedication to create such an effective bomb. First and foremost, there were problems with the political and social climate of the world that caused a race to unfold in the development of the ultimate weapon. During this period of time World War II was going on, and the United States was fighting with Germany in the Atlantic, as well as Japan in the Pacific. It all started when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis attacked Poland on September 1, 1939, in which the other countries had joined the war for help. As a result, when Leo Szilard heard that Germany had found out about Hahn and Strassman’s discovery he thought they would produce a bomb. Leo Szilard told them that they were attempting to purify Uranium-235, which would make up the atomic bomb. With...
Words: 1464 - Pages: 6
...One of man’s most devastating weapons, The Atom Bomb. The first time this particular weapon was used for warfare was during World War II when the United States bombed both Hiroshima and Nagasaki just days apart in August 1945. Where did this monstrosity originate? Via the “Manhattan Project”.The Manhattan Project was a combination of the United States’ financial, scientific, industrial, and technological might to produce the ultimate weapon...The Atom Bomb. [ae] “The Manhattan Project was committed to expediting research that would produce a viable Atomic Bomb.” The first and most difficult step towards the creation of the “A bomb” was the production of “enriched” uranium- to create a chain reaction. Back then, extracting that kind...
Words: 1329 - Pages: 6
...VIDEO ESSAY 1: THE MANHATTAN PROJECT Terry E. Reid History 314: Contemporary United States History 1945 to Present Dr. Gary Wray THE MANHATTAN PROJECT The Manhattan Project was the wartime effort to design and build the first atomic bombs. With the discovery of fission in 1939, it became clear to scientists that certain radioactive materials could be used to make a bomb with unprecent power. Once presented with this information, Franklin D. Roosevelt creating the Uranium Committee to investigate this possibility. The Manhattan Engineer District was the official name of the project commanded by Army General Leslie R. Groves. He was given almost unlimited powers to call upon the military, industrial, and scientific resources of the nation. While watching the video on the Manhattan Project, three things stood out to me: the research and development, the detonation of these bombs, and the ever lasting effects they would have on the world. The cost of the development and coordination for the Manhattan Project was $2-billion which was used to obtain sufficient amounts of the two necessary isotopes, uranium-235 and plutonium-239. The development and research was conducted mainly at 3 locations. At Oak Ridge, Tenn., the desired uranium-235 was separated from uranium-238 by a process called gaseous diffusion. At the Hanford installation, located in Washington State, huge nuclear reactors were built to transmute non-fissionable uranium-238 into plutonium-239...
Words: 665 - Pages: 3
...scientists of the Manhattan Project, described the scientific importance of the discovery of the atomic bomb. Immediately after the droppings of the atomic bombs on Japan until the present day, there were many debates on whether the Manhattan Project was justified or if nuclear weapons are even ethical. Seeing the destruction of the “Little Man” and “Fat Boy” bombs in the moment arose great fear and discontent. However, looking at the Manhattan Project in retrospect shows that the advantages gained through the years greatly outweigh the consequences of the nuclear weapons. The Manhattan Project was a pivotal endeavor in America’s history...
Words: 1705 - Pages: 7
...Originally President Roosevelt ordered the formation of the Manhattan Project in order to create the atomic bomb to gain a military advantage against Germany. Roosevelt wanted the U.S. to construct the atomic bomb first so that the U.S. could use it against Germany in hopes of getting them to surrender, but on May 8 Germany was defeated. The sole purpose of the Manhattan Project was to benefit the U.S. with power and use the bomb to get Germany to surrender, but now that Germany was defeated, concern rose among the scientists in the Metallurgical Laboratory at Chicago. The Chicago Scientists reasoned that since Germany was defeated there was no point in continuing with the construction of the atomic bomb. The scientists’ attitudes now towards...
Words: 659 - Pages: 3
...Julius Robert Oppenheimer, known to the world as, “The Father of the Atomic Bomb”, was credited for his role in the Manhattan Project. During the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer was the director of the Los Alamos, New Mexico Laboratory. Oppenheimer helped with the development of the atomic bombs that were eventually dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. During his life, Oppenheimer was one of the most important leaders of American history by being a pioneer in nuclear science. Oppenheimer, the son of a German immigrant, was born on April 22, 1904 (Biography). By the age of five or six, Oppenheimer was already enrolled in piano lessons. At the age of twelve, Oppenheimer was corresponding with well - known geologists about new rock...
Words: 814 - Pages: 4
...letter, Einstein wrote,”It may be possible to set off a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which large amounts of power and new radium like elements would be generated.” He continued,” This new development could lead to the creation of bombs, and as it seems, but less likely, the construction of an even bigger, new type of bomb.” President Roosevelt, although skeptical at first, decided to go through with the research and in 1941 the Manhattan Project was born. Four years later on August 6, the United States Dropped the first nuclear atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima wiping out 90 percent of the city, killing more than 80,000 people, and later tens of thousands more. Then again on August 9, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki and killing more than 40,000. 6 days later, the Emperor of Japan announced Japan’s official surrender to the United States in World War II. The effects and after effects of the the two bombs dropped shocked the entire world, even those a part of the Manhattan Project. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito described the bombs as the ”new and most cruel bomb.” This research paper will discuss the pros and cons of the use of nuclear weapons among different countries and how they affects the lives of those living within them. Nuclear weapons are crucial to the defense of a nation at war. When the United States used the 2 atomic bombs, nicknamed “little boy” and “fat man,” they did so in a way of ending the war quickly...
Words: 918 - Pages: 4
...129,000 people and ended one of the most obstructive wars in history, World War II. It was a decision that affected the view of America and raised a lot of questions on whether it was the necessary thing to do. It was a decision that caused great damage but it ended something that would’ve continued to hurt the country. How did the atomic bomb emerge and how was it created? Were there no other ways to end the war? The truth is, America needed a demonstration; they not only need to put an end to World War II, but they also needed to intimidate the Soviet Union and Russia. No one had known what an atom bomb was or how...
Words: 1572 - Pages: 7
...Truman did not Understand”. This was between a US news reporter and Leo Szilard the key figure among the scientists opposing the use of the bomb. The interview was in August 15, 1960. Why was their so fierce Opposition? In what Way did Truman Not Understand? These answers lie in the depths of the controversy about the Atomic Bomb. Introduction The atomic bomb was a topic of major controversy but the main debate was about the necessity of the atomic bomb. Many say that the atomic bomb was dropped because it would save millions of American lives. However at that period the Japanese were also at the point of surrendering. Huge amounts of incendiary bombs were used in large-scale cities against japan. Many of the scientists in the Manhattan Project were disturbed about it. The incendiary bombs reduced much morale from the Japanese army and crippled the will power. However this small cripple made Japan even angrier because these incendiary bombs were used on innocent civilians and not the Japanese army. Many think that it was necessary to use the Atomic Bombs because Japan attacked America first and not the other way around. It is a fact that when Hitler attacked Russia he expected Japan to attack from the East while Hitler attacked from the West and so Hitler might have won the battle of Stalingrad and captured Russia. Although this is not how it went. Japan respected the fighting force of Russia but however Fuehrer Franklin maneuvered them because he needed a war to maintain...
Words: 2649 - Pages: 11
...Just before dawn on July 6, 1945, only a few clouds hung over the still New Mexico desert. The air possessed that lucid clarity which skews all sense of distance and space. Out on the desert stood several large towers, yet from the perspective of the blockhouse, where the observers anxiously waited, they appeared as little more than a few spikes stuck in the sand. Suddenly, one of the towers erupted into a brilliant fireball, searing the air and instantly replacing the dawn’s pastels with a blazing radiance. With the radiance came heat: an incredible, scorching heat that rolled outward in waves. Where seconds before the sand had stretched cool and level in every direction, now it fused into glass pellets. The concussion from the fireball completely vaporized the tower at its center, created a crater a quarter of a mile wide, and obliterated another forty-ton steel tower one-half mile away. Above the fireball an ominous cloud formed, shooting upward, outward, then back upon itself to form the shape of a mushroom, expanding until it had reached eight miles in the air. The effects of the fireball continued outward from its center: the light, followed by the waves of heat, and then the deadening roar of the concussion, sharp enough to break a window over 125 miles away. Light, heat, concussion—— but first and foremost, the brilliance of the light. At the edge of the desert a blind woman was facing the explosion. She saw the light. In the blockhouse at Alamogordo, where scientists...
Words: 1098 - Pages: 5
