Explosion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
"Explode" redirects here. For the Nelly Furtado song, see Explode (song).
"Explosions" redirects here. For the Texas post-rock band, see Explosions in the Sky.
Image:Explosions.jpg
Gasoline explosions, simulating bomb drops at an airshow.
Image:F1000016.JPG
Black smoke from an explosion rising after a bomb goes off outside the road beside Nahr al-Bared
Image:IED Controlled Explosion.jpg
Detonation of a MICLIC to destroy a 1km in depth blast resistant minefield in Iraq.

An explosion is a sudden increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave.

Contents

[edit] Types of explosives

[edit] Natural

Explosions do not commonly occur in nature. On Earth, most natural explosions arise from volcanic processes of various sorts. Explosive volcanic eruptions occur when magma rising from below has much dissolved gas in it; the reduction of pressure as the magma rises causes the gas to bubble out of solution, resulting in a rapid increase in volume. Explosions also occur as a result of impact events. On other planets, volcanoes and impacts cause explosions with various frequency.

[edit] Chemical

Main article: Explosive material

The most common artificial explosives are chemical explosives, usually involving a rapid and violent oxidation reaction that produces large amounts of hot gas. Gunpowder was the first explosive to be discovered and put to use. Other notable early developments in chemical explosive technology were Frederick Augustus Abel's development of nitrocellulose in 1865 and Alfred Nobel's invention of dynamite in 1866.

[edit] Nuclear

Main article: Nuclear bomb

A new order of explosive, the nuclear bomb, was invented in 1945 by Allied scientists. In 1952, the US military developed the first fusion bomb.

[edit] Electrical

A high current electrical fault can create an electrical explosion by forming a high energy electrical arc which rapidly vaporizes metal and insulation material. Also, excessive magnetic pressure within an ultra-strong electromagnet can cause a magnetic explosion.

[edit] Vapour

Boiling liquid expanding vapour explosions are a type of explosion that can occur when a vessel containing a pressurized liquid is ruptured, causing a rapid increase in volume as the liquid evaporates.

[edit] Astronomical

Solar flares are an example of explosion common on the Sun, and presumably on most other stars as well. The energy source for solar flare activity comes from the tangling of magnetic field lines resulting from the rotation of the Sun's conductive plasma.

Among the largest known explosions in the universe are supernovae, which result from stars exploding, and gamma ray bursts, whose nature is still in some dispute.

[edit] Notable explosions

Further information: List of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions

[edit] Chemical explosions

[edit] Nuclear testing

[edit] Use in war

[edit] Exploding volcanoes

[edit] See also

bg:Взрив cs:Výbuch da:Eksplosion de:Explosion el:Έκρηξη es:Explosión eo:Eksplodo fr:Explosion id:Ledakan it:Esplosione he:פיצוץ nl:Explosie ja:爆発 no:Eksplosjon pl:Wybuch pt:Explosão ru:Взрыв simple:Explosion sk:Explózia sl:Eksplozija sr:Експлозија fi:Räjähdys sv:Explosion vi:Nổ uk:Вибух zh:爆炸

Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/Explosion"
Views
Personal tools

Toolbox