Atomic Bomb vs Hydrogen Bomb: Real Difference? . What if I told you there is a weapon that is nearly a thousand times stronger than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki? That weapon is the Hydrogen bomb, and understanding how it works shows how far nuclear technology has advanced. A normal nuclear bomb works on the principle of nuclear fission. Atoms like Uranium - 235 or Plutonium - 239 are split to release massive energy. This creates a chain reaction that produces an explosio