Definitions for tnt equivalent

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word tnt equivalent


  1. TNT equivalent

    TNT equivalent is a method of quantifying the energy released in explosions. The "ton of TNT" is a unit of energy equal to 4.184 gigajoules, which is approximately the amount of energy released in the detonation of one ton of TNT. The "megaton of TNT" is a unit of energy equal to 4.184 petajoules. The kiloton and megaton of TNT have traditionally been used to rate the energy output, and hence destructive power, of nuclear weapons. This unit is written into various nuclear weapon control treaties, and gives a sense of destructiveness as compared with ordinary explosives, like TNT. More recently, it has been used to describe the energy released in other highly destructive events, such as asteroid impacts. However, TNT is not the most energetic of conventional explosives. Dynamite, for example, has about 60% more energy density.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

  1. TNT equivalent

    A measure of the energy released from the detonation of a nuclear weapon, or from the explosion of a given quantity of fissionable material, in terms of the amount of TNT (trinitrotoluene) which could release the same amount of energy when exploded.


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"tnt equivalent." STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. < equivalent>.

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