An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A unit of explosive force equal to one million metric tons of → T.N.T.. 1 megaton = 4.2 × 10²² → ergs = 4.2 × 10¹⁵ → joules.

→ mega-; → ton.

A measure of the explosive strength of a nuclear bomb, expressed in terms of the weight of → trinitrotoluene which could release the same amount of energy when exploded. The Hiroshima atomic (fission) bomb created a blast equivalent to 16 kilotons of TNT. The first hydrogen (thermonuclear) bomb test released an energy of about 10 megatons of TNT. See also → megaton of TNT.

→ trinitrotoluene (TNT); → equivalent.

A yellow, solid chemical compound, that does not occur naturally in the environment. More specifically, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (C₆H₂(NO₂)₃CH₃), is commonly known as TNT. It is an explosive extensively used in munitions and for demolitions.

→ trinitro- + → toluene.