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1 Hiroshima atomic bomb (15 kt TNT) is 37,500,000 ham sandwiches (at 400 kcal/sandwich).



Such comparisons are almost meaningless. For explosives, its not only about how much energy gets released, but also (almost more so) about how fast it gets released.

For example, per kilogram, TNT releases less than a tenth of the energy that burning gasoline does, and a sandwich stores more energy than the equivalent weight in dynamite (but both are cheating, as TNT and dynamite both include the oxygen needed to ‘burn’ them, whereas gasoline and sandwiches don’t)


And the forms of energy, deliverable size, etc., etc.

Ham sandwich prompt radiation, thermal pulse, blast, and long-term radiation effects are somewhat less than those of the Little Boy gadget. The last may depend on how much hot sauce is applied.

Both weight and volume exceeded the B-29 and would be better suited for a bulk-cargo carrier of about 30' beam, 40' depth, and 300' length.

The relationship between promptness and completeness of reaction is an interesting one, and not limited to TNT and petroleum. The WWII atomic weapons haad a pretty remarckably low efficiency --- most of the fissile material was dispersed before it could fully react. Nuclear power generation is far more efficient. And generally slower.

See related the Beruit 2020 ammonium nitrate explosion:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25154155

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24064248




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