How big a bomb would you need to destroy the earth?

[Boyo Jim]

First, let's define terms. By destroy I mean blow it into chunks that would scatter into the solar system. So were not talking about some pansy-ass "kill all humans" or "render the planet unfit for life" bomb.

And by big, I supposed we need to talk the measurements of nukes -- megatons, gigatons, and I don't know the terminology for the higher-up measures, which will probably be needed for an answer.

Oh, and boiling the earth away by making the sun explode or go nova or something doesn't count.

Mods, please be reassured. I have no actual plans to destroy the earth. But I do suggest that if I or anyone else asks for plans on how such a bomb can be built, that thread should be closed promptly. :p

[Sunspace]

Far larger than anything we've ever built.

All your questions are answered here (http://qntm.org/?destroy), and especially here (http://qntm.org/?destroy#sec4). All the explosives mankind has ever created, nuclear or non-, gathered together and detonated simultaneously, would make a significant crater and wreck the planet's ecosystem, but barely scratch the surface of the planet. There is evidence that in the past, asteroids have hit the Earth with the explosive yield of five billion Hiroshima bombs - and such evidence is difficult to find. It is, in short, insanely difficult to significantly alter the Earth's structure with explosives. This is not to mention the gravity problem. Just because you blasted the Earth apart doesn't mean you blasted it apart for good. If you don't blast it hard enough, the pieces will fall back together again under mutual gravitational attraction, and Earth, like the liquid metal Terminator, will reform from its shattered shards. You have to blow the Earth up hard enough to overcome that attraction.

[Cisco]

Far larger than anything we've ever built.

All your questions are answered here (http://qntm.org/?destroy), and especially here (http://qntm.org/?destroy#sec4).
That's cool! When I was a kid I was scared shitless by the cold war meme that we had enough explosives to crack the earth in half. I've know for awhile that it wasn't true, but it's still cool talking about it hypothetically.

[Boyo Jim]

Far larger than anything we've ever built.

All your questions are answered here (http://qntm.org/?destroy), and especially here (http://qntm.org/?destroy#sec4).

Well, that tells me how much energy WON'T destroy the earth. I do kind of like the neutronium and anti-neutronium slugs fired to met at the center of the earth. I'm gonna have to read that Greg Bear book.

[lazybratsche]

Well, we can calculate the energy that it would take to launch a given chunk of mass with escape velocity. To blow it into bits that would 'scatter into the solar system', pretty the entire mass of the earth would have to reach escape velocity, otherwise most of the remains would clump back together. With escape velocity of 11 km/s, and a mass of 6x10^24 kg, the kinetic energy is given by:

.5 * 6x10^24 kg * (11x10^3 m/s)^2 = 3.6x10^32 J

A one megaton bomb releases 4.2x10^15 J of energy. To a first approximation, you'd need a 10^17 megaton bomb to blow the earth to tiny pieces -- that's one hundred million billion megatons. Also, you'd probably need even more energy to break up all of the solid pieces of the earth.

(All values taken from Wikipedia. Consult an expert for any actual planet destroying purposes.)

[Sunspace]

Well, that tells me how much energy WON'T destroy the earth. I do kind of like the neutronium and anti-neutronium slugs fired to met at the center of the earth. I'm gonna have to read that Greg Bear book.Well, the web page does mention using 25*1012 tonnes of antimatter. Combine that with an equal amount of matter, and convert it to energy at the centre of the earth, and that should be enough to disrupt the planet (according to the web page).

So...50*1012 tonnes of total mass to be annihilated (converted to energy) = 50*1015 kg.

Using E = mc2, we have
E = 50*1015 kg * (3*108m/s)2
= 50*1015 kg * 9*1016 m2/s2
= 450*1031 kg·m2/s2
= 450*1031 J
= 450*1031 J / 4.1844*109 J/megaton (energy)
= 107.5*1022 megatons (energy)

[Skald the Rhymer]

:: sits quietly in back of room, notepad in hand::

[Q.E.D.]

:: sits quietly in back of room, notepad in hand::
*notifies The Keystone Kops Homeland Security*

[Skald the Rhymer]

*notifies The Keystone Kops Homeland Security*


There is no evidence connecting me to any any world-destruction plots. I am offended by the suggestion, and your veiled accusations will not go unnoticed.

Not that I'm planning on releasing thousands of mutant fire ants on you or anything like that. I'm just saying.

[Tuckerfan]

Not a bomb, but if you've been really good, the Large Hadron Collider just might destroy the Earth. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=428308)

[Count Blucher]

What? Ten whole posts and no mention of the Illudium 238 Space Modulator...? (http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/files/2007/12/illudium.jpg) :D

[JThunder]

Bomb, schmomb. I've been trying to convince the Science Council that the Earth is going to explode on its own.

The fools refuse to listen.

[Twoflower]

Us I understand it, about 4.5 billion years ago we got hit by an object the size of Mars, and all we got out of it was a Moon - not scattered across the solar system in bits. Kinda hard to imagine anything much less than the sun going nova that would really get the job done.

[Shagnasty]

When I was about 10, my brother and I took 5 M-80's and put them in a small hole with the intent of destroying the earth.

It didn't work work. You need something stronger than that.

[silenus]

If "Battlefield: Earth" wasn't a big enough bomb, I don't think such a thing can exist. :D

[Sunspace]

What? Ten whole posts and no mention of the Illudium 238 Space Modulator...? (http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/files/2007/12/illudium.jpg) :DThat's the Illudium Q-38 Explosive Space Modulator (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051701/usercomments) to you...

[Ranchoth]

To a first approximation, you'd need a 10^17 megaton bomb to blow the earth to tiny pieces -- that's one hundred million billion megatons.

By my figuring that's about...100 exatons. (An exaton is 1000 petatons. A petaton is 1000 teratons. A teraton is 1000 gigatons. A gigaton is 1000 megatons.)

::pause::

::ghoulish, slavering laughter (http://thepchb.blogspot.com/2007/10/three-looney-takes-on-jekyll-and-hyde.html)::

[Q.E.D.]

That's the Illudium Q-38 Explosive Space Modulator (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051701/usercomments) to you...
Third try's the charm (http://www.tvacres.com/weapons_ammunition_uranium.htm). :p

[Sunspace]

Third try's the charm (http://www.tvacres.com/weapons_ammunition_uranium.htm). :pObviously there are a number of developmental variants and experimental versions around.

Yeah, that's it.

[Boyo Jim]

When I was about 10, my brother and I took 5 M-80's and put them in a small hole with the intent of destroying the earth.

It didn't work work. You need something stronger than that.

Ok, I will take that as indeterminately below the minimum.

[Astroboy14]

How big a bomb would you need to destroy the earth?

Unless you wish to find out in a most definitive manner, you will deposit into my personal bank account ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[Boyo Jim]

Unless you wish to find out in a most definitive manner, you will deposit into my personal bank account ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I will not bow to blackmail, even should it cost the life of every human in the universe! Give me liberty or give every one of us death.

[Astroboy14]

I will not bow to blackmail, even should it cost the life of every human in the universe! Give me liberty or give every one of us death.

Er.
OK... $900,000?

[Boyo Jim]

Er.
OK... $900,000?

To be more clear... the entire planet and everyone on it is not worth a nickel to me. As far as I'm concerned, when I die so do all the rest of you.

I'll tell you what... I'll pay you a nickel to blow up the planet. It might be an interesting death.

[Astroboy14]

Bah!

*sulk*

[Boyo Jim]

Bah!

*sulk*

Don't be disheartened! There are others wealthier and more interested in their personal survival than me!

Find them! Threaten them!

[Sunspace]

Unless you wish to find out in a most definitive manner, you will deposit into my personal bank account ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!Just a minute...
:: fumbles in change pouch (http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKN0328796820070503) ::

[Llama Llogophile]

I seem to recall from one of Richard Rhodes' books that there is an upper limit to the useful power of an H-bomb.

Back in the 40's and 50's they thought that a sufficiently large bomb might ignite the atmosphere and/or blow up the planet. But then somebody (Teller maybe) figured out that as yield is increased past a certain point you simply lift a larger chunk of atmosphere up into space. I think it was around 100 megatons.

Not sure what bearing this has on the current discussion, but it's interesting.

[Mangetout]

First, let's define terms. By destroy I mean blow it into chunks that would scatter into the solar system.It's not going to blow apart into chunks, because it's not a solid piece of rock.

Exploding it into blobs is about the best thing you could hope for, and even then, I'd WAG that the amount of energy required to blow it into several separate blobs would actually be enough to blow it into lots of little ones, or in other words, I think the margin between not blowing it apart at all and blowing it into mist is probably quite a fine one.

[Musicat]

It's not going to blow apart into chunks, because it's not a solid piece of rock.

Exploding it into blobs is about the best thing you could hope for, and even then, I'd WAG that the amount of energy required to blow it into several separate blobs would actually be enough to blow it into lots of little ones, or in other words, I think the margin between not blowing it apart at all and blowing it into mist is probably quite a fine one.I don't think anyone yet mentioned the placement of such a bomb. Surely exploding it on the surface won't have as much an effect as deep, really deeep, underground. Like at the center, maybe.

[JThunder]

Dudes, you do realize that the FBI, the CIA, and the Department of Homeland Security are now tracking each and every one of you, right?

[Musicat]

Dudes, you do realize that the FBI, the CIA, and the Department of Homeland Security are now tracking each and every one of you, right?Too late, JThunder realizes that he, too, is now under surveillance... :eek:

[Astroboy14]

Just a minute...
:: fumbles in change pouch (http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKN0328796820070503) ::

That's a BIG coin! :eek:

[tdn]

When I was about 10, my brother and I took 5 M-80's and put them in a small hole with the intent of destroying the earth.
In another thread, you copped to doing 100 things worse than something terrible you were accused of. People said they didn't evenwant to know what those might be.

I think you've just let us in on one of them.

Of course, if you really wanted to be an asshole, you'd hurl Uranus towards the Earth.

[Motorgirl]

According to the card game Nuclear War, all it takes is a Saturn missile carrying a 100 megaton warhead, and having the spinner land on "Explodes a nuclear stockpile! Triple the yield."

[BlinkingDuck]

Unless you wish to find out in a most definitive manner, you will deposit into my personal bank account ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Despite the proven theuraputic properties of maniacal laughter, you should probably not do it. You might miss something important.

[Boyo Jim]

It's not going to blow apart into chunks, because it's not a solid piece of rock.

Exploding it into blobs is about the best thing you could hope for, and even then, I'd WAG that the amount of energy required to blow it into several separate blobs would actually be enough to blow it into lots of little ones, or in other words, I think the margin between not blowing it apart at all and blowing it into mist is probably quite a fine one.

I think you're parsing this too closely. If you blow up a million rocks and shatter them into a billions smaller rocks, you still got rock chunks.

And I think it would take less energy to blow big rocks into smaller ones than it would to make a mist of dribbly molten rock. I'm not looking to blow the planet into vapor -- chunks will do.

Plus, if over time gravity pulls it back together into a roughly earth sized mass, that's okay too.

[MacTech]

Just wait for the Vogons to arrive, they'll do it quite handily....

[Mr. Excellent]

Plus, if over time gravity pulls it back together into a roughly earth sized mass, that's okay too.

Yah, I really think the "How to destroy the Earth" webpage is too hard-care on this. If the Earth is blown into a large number of substantially smaller chunks, then even if they re-coalesce into a planetary body of similar mass, it's hard to argue that this is "Earth" in any meaningful sense. The biosphere is gone, all the geographical features are gone, mass that was previously at the core of the planet may now be on the outside, or vice-versa - it's a whole new jumble. Saying this new planetary body is "Earth" would be like saying that, when I die, any worms and whatnot that eat my corpse, and remain nearby, constitute "the body of Mr. Excellent", because much of my mass will eventually be consumed by them. Nonsense, of course.

So, what sort of energy requirement are we talking about if we no longer care about the debris re-coalescing?

[Algorithm]

1. Back in the 1920's, someone pointed a 1970's style "death ray" at the Yap Trench on 5 distinct occasions, for a duration of 4 minutes each time.
2. Their intent was to destroy the earth.