Nuclear physics

Yield

The total energy released by a nuclear weapon, expressed in tons (or kilotons / megatons) of TNT equivalent.

Nuclear yield is conventionally measured against TNT explosive energy: 1 kiloton (kt) = 1,000 tons of TNT, 1 megaton (Mt) = 1 million tons. The Hiroshima bomb was 15 kt, Tsar Bomba 50,000 kt, and modern strategic warheads typically 100-500 kt.

Related terms

Kiloton (kt)

A unit of nuclear yield equal to 1,000 tons of TNT equivalent (4.184 × 10¹² joules).

Megaton (Mt)

A unit of nuclear yield equal to 1,000,000 tons (or 1,000 kilotons) of TNT equivalent.

See the full Nuclear Weapons Glossary.