6 days ago ยท nuclear weapon, device designed to release energy in an explosive manner as a result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or a combination of the two processes. Fission weapons are commonly referred to as atomic bombs. Fusion weapons are also referred to as thermonuclear bombs or, more commonly, hydrogen bombs; they are usually defined as
Nuclear energy supplies 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs, less than the 31.7 percent that comes from natural gas and the 30.1 percent from coal, and only slightly more than the 17.1 percent provided by renewables such as hydropower, wind and solar [source: EIA]. But some countries depend on the atom more heavily.
Nuclear fusion is the process of forcing together two light atomic nuclei and creating a heavier one, in the process taking a tiny amount of matter and turning it into massive amounts of energy