Nuclear Bombs vs Hydrogen Bombs

There are two types of nuclear bomb. Fission bombs (often called atomic bombs) and fusion bombs (often called hydrogen bombs).

Atomic bombs rely on a process called nuclear fission. This means splitting a heavy atom (such as plutonium or uranium) into smaller atoms and releasing a great deal of energy in the process.

Fusion bombs rely on fusing light atoms (such as hydrogen) into larger atoms, which also releases a great deal of energy. However, in order to get the light atoms to fuse together you have to raise the temperature very high. The best way to do this is by using a conventional fission bomb positioned around the hydrogen fuel. This compresses the hydrogen and heats it up, which ignites the fusion process.