TNTegyenértékkel

TNT-egyenértékkel, or TNT equivalence, is a standardized way to express the energy yield or blast effects of an explosive in terms of the energy released by an equivalent mass of TNT (trinitrotoluene). The concept provides a common reference point to compare different explosives and devices without relying on material-specific terminology.

The calculation is energy-based. If an explosive releases E of energy under specified conditions and TNT has a specific energy e_TNT (about 4.184 MJ per kilogram), the TNT-equivalent mass is m_TNT = E / e_TNT. Conversely, the energy of a charge expressed as a TNT mass is E = m_TNT · e_TNT. Different substances have different specific energies, so the TNT-equivalent mass is not a fixed property but depends on the energy definition and conditions (for example, whether the charge is unconfined or confined).

Common uses include reporting yields of weapons, evaluating blasting operations, and safety planning, where results are stated in kilograms or tons of TNT equivalent (kt). It should be noted that TNT equivalence is a simplification: blast effects depend on many factors such as confinement, distance, air properties, geometry, and the time history of the pressure wave; two charges with the same TNT equivalence can produce different peak overpressures and impulses in practice.

In Hungarian usage, the term is often written as TNT-egyenérték vagy TNT-érték, reflecting its role as a standard reference for comparing explosive energy.