Conceptual illustration of a nuclear bomb. The illustration shows the outer shell of a nuclear bomb with the nucleus of plutonium. Protons (black) and neutrons (blue). Nuclear weapons work by capitalizing on the interactions of protons and neutrons to create an explosive chain reaction. There are two types of nuclear weapons: Atomic Bombs, which rely on a domino effect of multiple fission reactions to produce an explosion, and Hydrogen Bombs, which rely on a combination of fission and fusion using uranium or plutonium, with the help of lighter elements like the isotopes of hydrogen.