Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 13
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Explosions
W e've already seen in this topic how to model projectiles as they fly through the air and how
to model the ballistic impact of a projectile with another object. Things don't always just fly
through the air in game simulations. Sometimes they also blow up. The physics of explosions
is very complex—you can literally get a PhD in the subject. As with some of the other topics
covered in this topic, we'll limit our treatment of the subject to what game programmers need
to know to create realistic simulations.
It turns out that the term “explosion” has no fixed definition and is applied to some very
different situations. Generally speaking, an explosion, as it is defined in this chapter, is a sudden
release of energy that generates light, heat, noise, and/or a blast wave. Explosions don't always
have to be caused by the rapid combustion of a solid or liquid material. When a meteor or
comet strikes the earth, the impact will cause an explosion. In this chapter, the discussion will
be limited to the subject of chemical and nuclear explosions.
A chemical explosion is caused by the energy released from a rapid chemical reaction. The
chemical reaction may occur spontaneously (which is usually bad), or it can be initiated by an
ignition source such as a flame or an electrical charge. A nuclear explosion is caused by the
energy release due to nuclear fission or fusion. With fission, a heavy element such as uranium
is split into two smaller elements. With fusion, a light element such as hydrogen is fused
together into a heavier element.
Some of the topics this chapter will cover include the following:
Some basic explosion terminology
The processes that take place during an explosion
An introduction to some commonly used explosives
How to compute blast damage from an explosion
Fragmentation devices
Nuclear explosions
Let's begin our exploration of the world of explosions with some explosion terminology.
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