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If you’re not a science buff, the term “nuclear” probably stands out because you’ll have heard about nuclear weapons in the news, or you’ll have heard about it on a television show. How much do you really know about it, however? Test your Nuclear IQ in this quiz and find out!
Questions and Answers
1.
Which countries currently have nuclear weapons?
A.
United States, Russia, Libya, France, China, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, North Korea
B.
United States, Germany, France, Russia, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan
C.
United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, France, China, Brazil
D.
United States, China, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea
E.
United States, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, China
Correct Answer
D. United States, China, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea
Explanation The correct answer includes countries that currently possess nuclear weapons. These countries are the United States, China, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea.
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2.
What is the blast yield of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima?1
A.
15 kilotons of TNT
B.
50 kilotons of TNT
C.
180 kilotons of TNT
D.
370 kilotons of TNT
E.
1 megaton of TNT
Correct Answer
A. 15 kilotons of TNT
Explanation 1. Los Alamos report: John Malik, “The Yields of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Nuclear Explosions,” 1985
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3.
What is the blast yield of a warhead on the LGM-30 Minuteman, the current land-based ICBM used by the United States? 2
A.
340 kilotons of TNT
B.
250 kilotons of TNT
C.
130 kilotons of TNT
D.
65 kilotons of TNT
E.
20 kilotons of TNT
Correct Answer
A. 340 kilotons of TNT
Explanation 2. "Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons," globalsecurity.org, accessed: [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/nuke-list.htm]
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4.
Which of the following has more nuclear weapons? 3
A.
India
B.
Pakistan
C.
A Russian ICBM
D.
A US nuclear submarine
E.
Iran
Correct Answer
D. A US nuclear submarine
Explanation 3. An Ohio-class submarine holds 24 MIRVed Trident missiles, each holding several warheads. Federation of American Scientists—“SSBN-726 Ohio-Class FBM Submarines” accessed: [http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/navy/submarines/ssbn726_ohio.html]
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5.
According to a study cited by Nuclear Darkness & Global Climate Change, how many Hiroshima-sized bombs does it take to induce “catastrophic climate change”? 4
A.
100
B.
1,000
C.
5,000
D.
10,000
E.
20,000
Correct Answer
A. 100
Explanation 4. “Nuclear Weapons & Global Climate Change: The Deadly Consequences of Nuclear War,” accessed: [http://www.nucleardarkness.org/nuclear/faq/]
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6.
How many nuclear weapons are in the 4 most nuclear US states, New Mexico, Georgia, Washington, and Nevada respectively? 5
A.
2450, 2000, 1685, and 1350
B.
680, 545, 385, and 320
C.
350, 220, 175, and 110
D.
130, 74, 48, and 25
E.
25, 18, 14, and 9
Correct Answer
A. 2450, 2000, 1685, and 1350
Explanation 5. The Brookings Institution—“50 Facts About U.S. Nuclear Weapons,” accessed: [http://www.brookings.edu/projects/archive/nucweapons/50.aspx]
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7.
After the US and Russia, the third largest nuclear power possesses around 300 nuclear weapons. How large is the complete United States nuclear inventory? 6
A.
13,600
B.
9,400
C.
2,500
D.
330
E.
70
Correct Answer
B. 9,400
Explanation The correct answer is 9,400. This means that the complete United States nuclear inventory is estimated to be 9,400 nuclear weapons.
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8.
Which of the following is larger:7
A.
Total land area of the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey
B.
Total fallout area of a 1 megaton hydrogen bomb
C.
The Netherlands
D.
Total land area of the largest National Park in the Lower 48 states (Death Valley National Park in CA)
E.
Total known land area occupied by U.S. nuclear weapons bases and facilities
Correct Answer
E. Total known land area occupied by U.S. nuclear weapons bases and facilities
Explanation 7. Nuclear information from The Brookings Institution—“50 Facts About U.S. Nuclear Weapons,” accessed: [http://www.brookings.edu/projects/archive/nucweapons/50.aspx], National Park information found at the National Park Service Website [http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/quickfacts.htm]
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9.
How much time does the President of the United States have to decide whether to launch nuclear missiles if warning systems detect a possible attack?
A.
Around 15 minutes
B.
Half an hour
C.
A few hours
Correct Answer
A. Around 15 minutes
Explanation The President of the United States has around 15 minutes to decide whether to launch nuclear missiles if warning systems detect a possible attack. This limited time frame is due to the urgency and time-sensitive nature of a potential nuclear attack. In such a scenario, quick decision-making is crucial to ensure the safety and security of the nation.
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10.
What are the ways nuclear weapons could be delivered to their target?
A.
Intercontinental, Medium-, and Short-Range Ballistic Missiles, and Submarine-launched missiles
B.
Air-dropped bombs
C.
Artillery
D.
A and b only
E.
All of the above
Correct Answer
E. All of the above
Explanation The correct answer is "all of the above". Nuclear weapons can be delivered to their target through various means, including intercontinental, medium-, and short-range ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, air-dropped bombs, and artillery. This means that nuclear weapons can be transported and deployed through a combination of missile systems, aircraft, and ground-based artillery, providing multiple options for delivering them to their intended targets.
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11.
How much highly enriched uranium does it take to assemble a primitive nuclear weapon? 8
A.
45 tons
B.
20 tons
C.
1 ton
D.
500 kilograms
E.
64 kilograms
Correct Answer
E. 64 kilograms
Explanation 8. “HEU as weapons material – a technical background,” briefing prepared by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, accessed: [www.nti.org/e_research/official_docs/norway/HEU_as_Weapons_Material.pdf]
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12.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty:
A.
Recognizes only five nuclear weapons states
B.
Forbids non-nuclear weapons states from acquiring nuclear technology
C.
Allows for peaceful civilian uses of nuclear energy
D.
Calls for conventional (non-nuclear) military disarmament
E.
All of the above
Correct Answer
E. All of the above
Explanation 9. “THE TREATY ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS” (original text) accessed: [http://www.un.org/events/npt2005/npttreaty.html]
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13.
All but the following countries are members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty:10
A.
Pakistan, India, Israel, North Korea
B.
North Korea, Iran, Pakistan
C.
United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, France
D.
United States, Pakistan, India
E.
Israel, North Korea, Egypt
Correct Answer
A. Pakistan, India, Israel, North Korea
Explanation 10. Federation of American Scientists—“Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [NPT]” accessed: [http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/npt/]
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14.
The United States has seriously considered using nuclear weapons:11
A.
Against North Vietnam during the Vietnam war and recently against Iran
B.
Against North Korea and Chinese troops during the Korean War
C.
Against China in 1958 during peacetime
D.
Against Iraq during the Gulf War
E.
All of the above
Correct Answer
E. All of the above
Explanation 11. William Burr and Jeffrey Kimball, Ed., "Nixon White House Considered Nuclear Options Against North Vietnam, Declassified Documents Reveal," from National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 195, accessed [http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB195/index.htm]. The other answers are derived from “U.S. nuclear threats: Then and now,” Prepared by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, September/October 2006
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15.
What is the annual cost of nuclear weapons for the United States (2008)?12
A.
$52.4 billion
B.
$34.2 billion
C.
$17 billion
D.
$300.8 million
E.
$126.9 million
Correct Answer
A. $52.4 billion
Explanation 12. Stephen I. Schwartz and Deepti Choubey, Nuclear Security Spending: Assessing Costs, Examining Priorities (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2008), 6
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16.
Most historians agree that the following was the most significant factor in Japan’s decision to surrender during World War II:13
A.
The destruction of Japan’s merchant marine
B.
The dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
C.
The firebombing of Japanese cities
D.
Entry of the Soviet Union into the war
E.
The US invasion in preparation
Correct Answer
D. Entry of the Soviet Union into the war
Explanation 13. Gar Alperovitz, “Historians Reassess: Did We Need To Drop The Bomb?” Hiroshima’s Shadow (Connecticut: Pamphleteer’s Press, 1998), 8
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17.
"Saving American lives" is the most common justification for using the atomic bombs at the end of World War II. In US military documents, the maximum American casualty estimate for an invasion of Japan was:14
A.
46,000
B.
220,000
C.
500,000
D.
1.7 million
E.
2 million
Correct Answer
A. 46,000
Explanation 14. Gar Alperovitz, “Historians Reassess: Did We Need To Drop The Bomb?” Hiroshima’s Shadow (Connecticut: Pamphleteer’s Press, 1998), 12
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18.
How many people died as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?15
A.
Around 2400
B.
Around 20,000
C.
Around 80,000
D.
Around 200,000
E.
Around 1 million
Correct Answer
D. Around 200,000
Explanation 15. Estimates range from 150,000 to 246,000. Radiation Effects Research Foundation—“FAQ.” Accessed: [http://www.rerf.or.jp/general/qa_e/qa1.html]
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19.
How many US nuclear weapons were lost in accidents and never recovered?16
A.
16
B.
11
C.
8
D.
5
E.
3
Correct Answer
B. 11
Explanation 16. The Brookings Institution—“50 Facts About U.S. Nuclear Weapons,” accessed: [http://www.brookings.edu/projects/archive/nucweapons/50.aspx]
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20.
How many times did United States receive false alarms of impending nuclear attack?17
A.
None
B.
1
C.
4
D.
6
E.
9
Correct Answer
C. 4
Explanation The date and location of the incidents are: October, 5, 1960, Thule; October 25, 1962, Volk Field Base; June 3 and 6, 1980, NORAD; January 10, 1984, Warren AFB. Jaya Tiwari and Cleve J. Gray, "US Nuclear Weapons Accidents," Center For Defense Information website, accessed: [http://www.cdi.org/Issues/NukeAccidents/Accidents.htm]
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