A is for Atom
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| Directed by | Carl Urbano |
| Produced by | Sutherland Productions |
| Written by | True Boardman |
| Music by | Eugene Poddany |
| Distributed by | Sutherland Productions |
| Release date(s) | 1953 |
| Running time | 14:45 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
A Is for Atom is a 1953 promotional cartoon created by John Sutherland. The 14 minute short explains what an atom is, how energy is released from certain kinds of atoms, the peacetime uses of atomic energy, and the byproducts of nuclear fission.
[edit] Plot
A narrator begins the piece by relating what an atom is and how atomic energy can be harnessed by man to produce "limitless" energy. Dr. Atom (a caricature with an atom for a head) then explains the similarities between the solar system and atomic structure. He then goes on to relate how the atom is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. After this, the narrator explains how there are 90 elements with many possible isotopes for each.
The history of atomic energy is then overviewed beginning with the discovery of artificial transmutation. This then led to the discovery of nuclear fission and eventually nuclear weapons and nuclear energy using the chain reaction of radioactive material. The Oakridge uranium factory is then discussed as well as the first nuclear reactor and the first uses of plutonium. The future of fantastical nuclear power plants is then explained. The short ends on the uses of isotopes in medicine and agriculture.
