Editing Bomb (section)

==Types==
[[File:Pipe bomb 01.svg|thumb|right|Diagram of a simple time bomb in the form of a [[pipe bomb]]]]
[[File:B-61 bomb.jpg|thumb|right|An American [[B61 nuclear bomb|B61]] [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] on its loading carriage]]
[[File:ASC Leiden - Coutinho Collection - C 37 - Candjambary, Guinea-Bissau - Unexploded bomb - 1974.tif|thumb|[[Unexploded ordnance|Unexploded]] unguided [[aerial bomb]] with contact fuse used by the [[Portuguese Air Force]], [[Guinea-Bissau War of Independence]], March 1974.]]

Experts commonly distinguish between civilian and military bombs. The latter are almost always mass-produced weapons, developed and constructed to a standard design out of standard components and intended to be deployed in a standard explosive device. [[Improvised explosive device|IEDs]] are divided into three basic categories by basic size and delivery. Type 76, IEDs are hand-carried parcel or suitcase bombs, type 80, are "suicide vests" worn by a bomber, and type 3 devices are vehicles laden with explosives to act as large-scale stationary or self-propelled bombs, also known as [[VBIED]] (vehicle-borne IEDs).{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

Improvised explosive materials are typically unstable and subject to spontaneous, unintentional detonation triggered by a wide range of environmental effects, ranging from [[impact (mechanics)|impact]] and [[friction]] to [[electrostatic]] shock. Even subtle [[motion (physics)|motion]], change in [[temperature]], or the nearby use of cellphones or radios can trigger an unstable or remote-controlled device. Any interaction with explosive materials or devices by unqualified personnel should be considered a grave and immediate risk of death or dire injury. The safest response to finding an object believed to be an explosive device is to get as far away from it as possible.

Atomic bombs are based on the theory of [[nuclear fission]], that when a large atom splits, it releases a massive amount of energy. [[Thermonuclear weapons]], (colloquially known as "hydrogen bombs") use the energy from an initial [[Teller-Ulam design#Basic principle|fission]] explosion to create an even more powerful [[nuclear fusion|fusion]] explosion.

The term "[[dirty bomb]]" refers to a specialized device that relies on a comparatively low explosive yield to scatter harmful material over a wide area. Most commonly associated with [[radiological]] or chemical materials, dirty bombs seek to kill or injure and then to deny access to a contaminated area until a thorough clean-up can be accomplished. In the case of urban settings, this clean-up may take extensive time, rendering the contaminated zone virtually uninhabitable in the interim.

The power of large bombs is typically measured in [[TNT equivalent|kilotons (kt) or megatons of TNT (Mt)]]. The most powerful bombs ever used in combat were the two atomic bombs [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|dropped by the United States]] to attack [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]], and the most powerful ever tested was the [[Tsar Bomba]]. The most powerful non-nuclear bomb is [[Russia]]n "[[Father of All Bombs]]" (officially Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power (ATBIP))<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1155952320070912?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true |title=Russia tests superstrength bomb, military says |last=Solovyov |first=Dmitry |date=2007-09-12 |work=Reuters |access-date=2008-06-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419044709/http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1155952320070912?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true |archive-date=2008-04-19 }}</ref> followed by the [[United States Air Force]]'s [[MOAB]] (officially Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or more commonly known as the "Mother of All Bombs").

Below is a list of five different types of bombs based on the fundamental explosive mechanism they employ.

===Compressed gas===
Relatively small explosions can be produced by pressurizing a container until catastrophic failure such as with a [[dry ice bomb]]. Technically, devices that create explosions of this type can not be classified as "bombs" by the definition presented at the top of this article. However, the explosions created by these devices can cause property damage, injury, or death. Flammable liquids, gasses and gas mixtures dispersed in these explosions may also ignite if exposed to a spark or flame.

===Low explosive===
The simplest and oldest bombs store energy in the form of a [[low explosive]].  [[Black powder]] is an example of a low explosive.  Low explosives typically consist of a mixture of an oxidizing salt, such as [[potassium nitrate]] (saltpeter), with solid fuel, such as charcoal or aluminium powder.  These compositions deflagrate upon ignition, producing hot gas.  Under normal circumstances, this [[deflagration]] occurs too slowly to produce a significant pressure wave; low explosives, therefore, must generally be used in large quantities or confined in a container with a high burst pressure to be useful as a bomb.

===High explosive===
A high explosive bomb is one that employs a process called "[[detonation]]" to rapidly go from an initially high energy molecule to a very low energy molecule.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ring Strain in Cycloalkanes|url=http://orgomadesimple.com/chapter-5-cycloalkanes/|website=Orgo Made Simple|access-date=22 June 2015|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622201710/http://orgomadesimple.com/chapter-5-cycloalkanes/|archive-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> Detonation is distinct from deflagration in that the chemical reaction propagates faster than the speed of sound (often many times faster) in an intense shock wave. Therefore, the pressure wave produced by a high explosive is not significantly increased by confinement as detonation occurs so quickly that the resulting plasma does not expand much before all the explosive material has reacted. This has led to the development of [[plastic explosive]]. A casing is still employed in some high explosive bombs, but with the purpose of [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|fragmentation]]. Most high explosive bombs consist of an insensitive [[secondary explosive]] that must be detonated with a [[blasting cap]] containing a more sensitive [[primary explosive]].

===Thermobaric===
A [[thermobaric bomb]] is a type of [[explosive weapon|explosive]] that utilizes oxygen from the surrounding air to generate an intense, high-temperature explosion, and in practice the [[blast wave]] typically produced by such a weapon is of a significantly longer duration than that produced by a conventional condensed explosive. The fuel-air bomb is one of the best-known types of thermobaric weapons.

===Nuclear fission===
[[Nuclear fission]] type atomic bombs utilize the energy present in very heavy atomic nuclei, such as U-235 or Pu-239. In order to release this energy rapidly, a certain amount of the fissile material must be very rapidly consolidated while being exposed to a neutron source. If consolidation occurs slowly, repulsive forces drive the material apart before a significant explosion can occur. Under the right circumstances, rapid consolidation can provoke a chain reaction that can proliferate and intensify by many orders of magnitude within microseconds. The energy released by a nuclear fission bomb may be tens of thousands of times greater than a chemical bomb of the same mass.

===Nuclear fusion===
A [[thermonuclear weapon]] is a type of nuclear bomb that releases energy through the combination of fission and [[Nuclear fusion|fusion]] of the light atomic nuclei of deuterium and tritium. With this type of bomb, a thermonuclear detonation is triggered by the detonation of a fission type nuclear bomb contained within a material containing high concentrations of deuterium and tritium. Weapon yield is typically increased with a tamper that increases the duration and intensity of the reaction through inertial confinement and neutron reflection. Nuclear fusion bombs can have arbitrarily high yields making them hundreds or thousands of times more powerful than nuclear fission.

A [[pure fusion weapon]] is a hypothetical nuclear weapon that does not require a primary fission stage to start a fusion reaction.

===Antimatter===

[[Antimatter weapon|Antimatter bombs]] can theoretically be constructed, but antimatter is very costly to produce and hard to store safely.

===Other===
* [[Aerial bomb]] – designed to be dropped from a [[military aircraft]] (or even any aircraft) and carried on [[hardpoint]]s or in [[bomb bay]]s
* [[Delay-action bomb]] – explodes some time after impact, as opposed to before or on impact
* [[Dummy round|Dummy bomb]] – harmless bomb that has been fully disabled or has had its explosive contents removed, often used for training or display
* [[Glide bomb]] – features [[flight control surfaces]], allowing it to [[Gliding flight|glide]] fairly long distances to its target
* [[General-purpose bomb]] – aerial bomb dropped for multiple purposes, and thus designed to suit multiple purposes
* [[Incendiary device|Incendiary bomb]] – designed to set targets ablaze
* [[Cluster munition|Cluster bomb]] – releases additional submunitions, often smaller bombs, upon detonation
* [[Anti-runway penetration bomb]] – designed to destroy [[runway]]s and [[Airport apron|aprons]]
* [[Bunker buster]] – capable of penetrating hardened or fortified surfaces before detonating
* [[Concrete bomb]] – contains dense, inert material (typically concrete) instead of explosives, using the [[kinetic energy]] of the falling bomb to destroy target
* [[Improvised explosive device]] – classification of bombs produced in unconventional ways or using unconventional materials; includes explosives such as the [[barrel bomb]], [[nail bomb]], [[pipe bomb]], [[pressure cooker bomb]], [[ANFO|fertilizer bomb]], and [[Molotov cocktail]]