kilotonn.
/ˈkɪlə(ʊ)tʌn/, U.S. /ˈkɪləˌtən/, /ˈkɪləˌtɑn/, /ˈkiləˌtən/, /ˈkiləˌtɑn/ a. One thousand tons. Somewhat rare.
ΚΠ
1950 J. O. Hirschfelder et al. Effects of Atomic Weapons i. 14 It is necessary for about 3 × 1024 atoms to suffer fission to release the energy equivalent to 20 kilotons of TNT.
1973 Sci. Amer. Oct. 47/3 One of the aerial bombs, a comparatively low-yield weapon, had an explosive force equal to ‘a few hundred kilotons’ of TNT.
b. A unit of explosive power, equal to that of one thousand tons of T.N.T. Frequently attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > atomic nucleus > nuclear fission > nuclear explosion > [noun] > unit of explosive power
kiloton1952
megaton1952
1952 Birmingham (Alabama) News 24 Apr. 14/5 According to informed forecasts, the new bomb will have an explosive power of between 200 and 300 kilotons.
1956 A. H. Compton Atomic Quest v. 303 A 20 kiloton explosion (i.e., energy released equivalent to 20,000 tons of conventional explosives).
1959 Times Lit. Suppl. 22 May 306/4 The atomic strategy..relies on technology rather than on men and reckons fire-power in terms of kilotons of explosive.
1971 I. G. Gass et al. Understanding Earth xxiv. 333/1 The difficulties of discriminating between minor ‘background’ Earth tremors and the effects of [nuclear] tests of a few kilotons were seen to be formidable.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1950