The yield of a hydrogen bomb is measured in what unit?

The yield of a hydrogen bomb is measured in what unit?

• A. Kilotons
• B. Megatons
• C. Gigatons
• D. Tonnes

Answer: (B)

Energy yield for nuclear weapons is expressed in TNT equivalents, and hydrogen (thermonuclear) devices are described on a much larger scale. A megaton represents about a million tons of TNT energy, and hydrogen bombs release energy far surpassing early fission bombs that were in the kiloton range, which is why the common unit for their yield is megatons. Gigatons would imply an energy far beyond real thermonuclear weapons, while tonnes is a mass measure, not a yield unit.

Energy yield for nuclear weapons is expressed in TNT equivalents, and hydrogen (thermonuclear) devices are described on a much larger scale. A megaton represents about a million tons of TNT energy, and hydrogen bombs release energy far surpassing early fission bombs that were in the kiloton range, which is why the common unit for their yield is megatons. Gigatons would imply an energy far beyond real thermonuclear weapons, while tonnes is a mass measure, not a yield unit.