What Happens If You Try To Shoot Down A Nuclear Missile Mid-Air?

About this Video

• Video Title: What Happens If You Try To Shoot Down A Nuclear Missile Mid-Air?
• Channel: ScienceABC II
• Speakers: None specified in transcript.
• Duration: 00:03:28

Introduction

This video explains what happens if an anti-ballistic missile destroys a nuclear missile in mid-air. It details the mechanics of nuclear fission and fusion, the process of nuclear detonation, and the unlikelihood of a nuclear explosion from a destroyed missile while highlighting the potential radiation hazard from falling radioactive material.

Key Takeaways

• Nuclear bombs utilize energy released from merging or splitting subatomic particles (fission and fusion).
• Detonation requires a precise sequence of steps to initiate a chain reaction.
• Hitting a nuclear missile with an anti-ballistic missile is unlikely to cause a nuclear explosion because it disrupts the precise conditions needed for detonation.
• However, destroying a nuclear missile mid-air still creates a significant radiation hazard due to the scattering of radioactive material.
• Successfully intercepting a nuclear missile reduces its destructive potential from a city-destroying explosion to a localized radiation hazard.