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Energy Comparisons

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• Benchmark Energies
• Representative Weapons

Below is a table of the energies of a range of natural phenomena and commonplace technologies (on Earth), for comparison with the events and capabilities of artificial devices in STAR WARS.

occurrence		energy (J)
handgun bullet		5	× 102
digestible energy from 1 litre of diet fizzy drink		3	× 103
rifle bullet		4	× 103
1m iron sphere melted from 21°C		3.9	× 109
1 ton of TNT		4.184	× 109
1 ton of coal		2.93	× 1010
1 ton of oil		4	× 1010
earthquake, magnitude 4		6.31	× 1010
earthquake, magnitude 5		2.00	× 1012
10m iron sphere melted from 21°C		3.9	× 1012
1 kton of TNT		4.184	× 1012
Hiroshima bomb (15 kton TNT)		6.3	× 1013
earthquake, magnitude 6		6.31	× 1013
earthquake, magnitude 7		2.00	× 1015
100m iron sphere melted from 21°C		3.9	× 1015
1 Mton of TNT		4.184	× 1015
earthquake, magnitude 8		6.31	× 1016
USSR's Tsar Bomba fusion bomb (100Mton)		4	× 1017
earthquake, magnitude 9		2.00	× 1018
1km melt iron sphere melted from 21°C		3.9	× 1018
1 Gton of TNT		4.184	× 1018
electrical consumption of USA in 2001		1.3	× 1019
10km iron sphere melted from 21°C		3.9	× 1021
1 Tton of TNT		4.184	× 1021
melting upper 1m of Earth's crust		2.2	× 1024
100km iron sphere melted from 21°C		3.9	× 1024
melting upper 1km of Earth's crust		2.2	× 1028
binding energy of Moon		1.24	× 1029
energy of Earth's rotation		2.1	× 1029
melting upper 10km of Earth's crust		2.2	× 1029
binding energy of Earth		2.4	× 1032
binding energy of Jupiter		5	× 1036
type II supernova: light output		3	× 1042
type II supernova: gas kinetic energy		~	× 1044
type II supernova: neutrino output		3	× 1046

Representative Weapons

The table below is a summary of the maximum output of some representative Weapons in STAR WARS. Unless stated otherwise, these are maximum yield shots. Energy weapons in such as turbolasers have many different intensity settings, spanning orders of magnitude below the maximum yield. A figure of the raw energy delivery is given in joules, and the equivalent explosive output of a mass of TNT. When a beam hits a solid target, some volume of material is either vaporised or melted (depending on the effectiveness of heat transport through the mass). The last two columns show the diameter of a sphere of iron or stone that could be melted in one shot, assuming even and instantaneous heat transport.

craft	weapon	maximum shot				diameter of meltable sphere
		(J)		(TNT)		iron (m)	stone (m)
AT-TE	anti-personnel turret	5	×109			1.1	1.3
LAAT	anti-personnel turret	5	×109			1.1	1.3
LAAT	composite-beam laser turret	3	×1011			4.3	5.1
LAAT	light anti-air rocket	6	×1011	1/7	kton	5.4	6.4
Slave I	blaster cannon	6	×1011	1/7	kton	5.4	6.4
Δ-7 Aethersprite	dual laser cannon	4.2	×1012	1	kton	10.2	12.3
Slave I	laser cannon	8	×1012	~1.9	kton	12.7	15.3
Geonosian fighter	turret laser cannon	1	×1013	~2.4	kton	13.7	16.4
Trade Federation core ship	point-defence light laser cannon	3.3	×1013	8	kton	20.5	24.6
Acclamator	laser cannon	2.5	×1016	6	Mton	185.9	223.4
Slave I	missile launcher	8	×1017	~191	Mton	589.4	708.3
Slave I	minelayer, "seismic charge"	5	×1019	~12	Gton	2339.1	2810.8
Acclamator	quad turbolaser turret	8.4	×1020	200	Gton	5990.9	7189.8
Imperator	quad turbolaser turret ??? ≥	8.4	×1020	200	Gton	5990.9	7189.8
SPHA-T	turbolaser	-		-
Imperator	heavy turbolaser turret	-		-
Imperator	heavy ion cannon turret	-		-
Echo Base, Hoth	ion cannon	-		-
Executor	heavy turbolaser turret	-		-
Death Star	superlaser shot at Alderaan	3.4	× 1038	-		4.4×109	5.3×109

• Attack of the Clones: Incredible Cross Sections, Curtis Saxton, Hans Jenssen & Richard Chasemore, DK Publishing, 2002.
• STAR WARS IV: A New Hope, George Lucas et al., Lucasfilm Ltd., 1977.

• Moment magnitude scale, Wikipedia, 2005–.