Am. Hist. II ~ Manhattan Project Questions

What were the 2 nicknames given to the first atomic bombs?

Little Boy, Fat Man

Who is Enrico Fermi and what role did he play in the building in the atomic bomb?

He was a scientist and he created the chain reaction of uranium.

Who is Leo Szilard and what impact does he have on the building the atomic bomb?

He was a scientist from Hungary. He wrote a letter to the president (Roosevelt) about the building of the atomic bomb.

What happened to the desert sand when the test bomb was detonated?

It heated the sand to glass.

According to Paul Tibbets, what were the 3 reasons for this island being chosen?

It was withing striking range of Japan. It had the longest runways. It had the facilities there to modify the area where the bomb was going to be loaded.

Who was the scientist in charge of the building of the atomic bomb and why was he a surprising choice by the U.S. Military?

J. Robert Oppenheimer. He was temperamental and the building of the bomb would be very stressful.

What is the name of the U.S. Army General who was chosen by President Roosevelt to oversee the building of the bomb?

Leslie Groves

What is the name of the New Mexico city where the building of the atomic bomb will take place?

Los Alamos

What Tennessee city was chosen by the U.S. military to house the calutrons needed to create the uranium used in the bomb? What became the total population of this city at its height?

Oak Ridge ~ 75,000 people

What new man-made element was created by scientists specifically for usage in an atomic bomb?

Plutonium

What committee was formed by President Roosevelt after he received the letter about the atomic bomb?

The Advisory Committee on Uranium

At what Midwestern university did Szilard and Fermi work on the first atomic reaction?

The University of Chicago

What was the code name of the practice test of the dropping of the atomic bomb?

Trinity

What is the radioactive element used to make the first atomic bomb and what were the two specific isotopes that caused the atomic reaction?

Uranium ~ U235, U238

How many total lab personnel were hired to assist Oppenheimer in the building of the bomb?

2,500

What company was responsible for the bomb being held together?

3M

What was the biggest fear by the scientists on the day they tested their first bomb?

A dud. They thought that the bomb might ignite the atmosphere and destroy the world.

What famous scientist co-signed the letter to President Roosevelt about the building an atomic bomb?

Albert Einstein

Who is the U.S. pilot chosen to begin training in preparation for the dropping of the atomic bomb?

Colonel Paul Tibbets

Why wasn't there a test of the uranium bomb?

There wasn't enough extra uranium.

What is the name of the Japanese island 1400 miles from the mainland Japan where the Air Force began their practice runs?

Tinian Island