Whew! So it was *only* a hydrogen explosion!

[Duer 157099]

I was worried for a minute there.

[whosinpower]

1. What's an H-bomb?

hmmmmm......hydrogen bomb......is a nuclear weapon....hmmmm.....

[davepc]

2. That's not really how the physics work.

But whatever sounds good to ya.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. Fuckin' Magnets! How do they work?

:rofl:

[IcyPeas]

10. I remember that sign - hilarious

I forget what protest that was though. Was it a westboro baptist church anti-protest?

[csziggy]

14. They go in, they go out

Wait - that's the tides.

Never mind.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. I thought that was my...

Wait. Is it Wednesday yet?

[PCIntern]

28. !

[Codeine]

29. Damnable lodestones!

From whence hast thou acquired such arcane workings?!

[Buzz Clik]

5. H bomb is not a hydrogen explosion

It is when the fission reaction ... Nevermind.

[GKirk]

9. Was someone thinking

that an explosion of accumulated hydrogen gas was the same thing as a hydrogen bomb going off?

[Riftaxe]

12. Bloody Germans...So the Hindenburg

really was the first atomic test and on foreign soil to!
:rofl:

[SidDithers]

18. Yup...nt

Sid

[northernlights]

11. no, it wasn't a hydrogen bomb. not the same thing as hydrogen explosion

A hydrogen bomb is made by fusion of two hydrogen atoms.

The hydrogen explosion happened when very heated (high energy, fast moving) hydrogen atoms crashed into very heated (high energy, fast movin) oxygen atoms and form H2O molecules. The chemical reaction releases a *lot* of energy, especially when it happens in high amounts.

But not as much energy as when 2 atoms merge to form a different atom, which releases atomic (or nuclear) energy and is the principle behind the hydrogen (or fusion) bomb.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. Most clueless post of the week...

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. hmm no, that is not how the physics works

though a light water reactor... and hydrogen makes me go hmm

[Posteritatis]

19. Jesus H. Christ on a flaming pogo stick this place needs some basic science education. (nt)

[JVS]

22. bzzzzzzztt

[name not needed]

25. hmmm.... maybe you should have paid more attention in high school hmmmmm....

[Codeine]

26. Is there a contest for dumbest post on this subject or something?

It's the only explanation possible to explain some of the nonsense rattling off the keyboards of some DUers.

[Shagbark Hickory]

4. OH yeah. That's a relief!

nt

[JVS]

23. To people who understand the difference between fission explosions and regular explosions it is.

[Codeine]

27. Actually it is.

If you understood the issues at work you'd get that.

[pinto]

6. I think there's a lot of understandable assumptions and conclusions flying around the media/internet

I agree with those who suggest we take *all* of it with informed skepticism. And put it all in context as the reports come in.

fwiw, Hydrogen explodes - as in the Hindenburg airship tragedy.

There are reports that hydrogen buildup in the outer containment structure ignited and blew up. Yet reports are unclear on the core containment structure which houses the nuclear fuel, i.e. it's stability, which is the key factor.

Apparently the venting of steam to reduce internal, core pressure buildup led to hydrogen formation in the outer structure. Which blew.

:shrug:

[Duer 157099]

7. I guess what I'm snarkily referencing is that

any (uncontrolled, unexpected) explosion of any type in a nuclear facility is not a good thing, under any circumstances.

[pinto]

8. Yeah. Seems the core containment held, though, from what I read. Hope so.

Found it odd and ironic that the backups didn't work. Diesel generators to keep the electricity on to power the cooling system went down.

[roamer65]

15. Splitting the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water means that reactor is hotter...

than they are telling us. Usually it is a sign of a reactor in full or partial meltdown...as at TMI in 1979. TMI was a partial meltdown.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. I suspect we have at least a partial

cesium and iodine... too

[somone]

21. WP has a good graphical explanation of what happened

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/world/japan-nuclear-reactors-and-seismic-activity/

Click on #3 for hydrogen explosion

[IDemo]

24. There was dihydrogen monoxide everywhere, too

That was too close..

:scared: