• Cryptocurrency
  • Earnings
  • Enterprise
  • About TechBooky
  • Submit Article
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
TechBooky
  • African
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Gadgets
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • African
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Gadgets
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
TechBooky
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Home Research/How to do it

How Do Microwaves Cook Food?

Paul Balo by Paul Balo
June 22, 2014
in Research/How to do it
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Microwave ovens cook food incredibly fast, warming up refrigerated leftovers in minutes or less. But how does this great invention work?

Here, we explore the science behind one of the most revolutionary household appliances of the 20th century.

Microwaves Are A Form Of Energy

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves that fly through space at the speed of light. We can’t see microwaves, but if you could, you would see the microwave cooking chamber light up with an intense glow.

Microwaves are shorter than radio waves but longer than infrared radiation. The microwave used for cooking is about 12 centimeters from crest to crest, says Louis Bloomfield, a professor of physics at the University of Virginia. At this wavelength, microwaves are readily absorbed by most foods. But the particles in a microwave, known as photons, don’t have enough energy to damage molecules and cause cancer like ultraviolet rays or X-rays.

microwave

Microwaves are sandwiched between radio waves and infrared light on the electromagnetic spectrum. The microwaves used in cooking around 12 centimeters, or a little wider than the diameter of a baseball.

The Microwave Oven

A component called the magnetron generates microwaves from electricity inside the microwave oven. To power the magnetron, a transformer converts the standard household electricity from a wall socket of 120 volts to about 4,000 volts or higher. The voltage heats a filament at the center of the magnetron, boiling off electronsElectrons are emitted as the filament heats up.

The electrons would rush out in straight line toward an anode, or positive terminal, that surrounds the filament, but two ring magnets above and below the anode bend the electrons back toward the filament and they fly around in a circular path.

microwave a

Magnets bend the electrons back toward the filament in a curved path.

Microwaves are created as the electrons whip past cavities, or openings, in the anode.

microwave b

Cavities in the ring-shaped anode create a microwave “whistle” as the electrons blow past.

“It’s like blowing across the top of a glass bottle,” says Bob Schiffmann, president of the International Microwave Power Institute. But instead of producing a sound whistle, oscillating waves are generated at a specific frequency, typically 2.45 gigahertz. The microwaves are transmitted into the cooking compartment by an antenna where they are bounced around eventually penetrating the food.

microwave c

Dan Izzo/YouTube

The microwave door contains a metal mesh that reflects the microwaves like a mirror and keeps them from leaking out. The mesh holes are too small for microwaves to escape through but large enough that visible light can, so we can see what’s cooking inside.

Most microwaves have a glass turntable that moves the food around like a carousel so that it heats evenly. If the food wasn’t being rotated, parts of your meal would get stuck in the microwave’s hot and cold spots.

Microwave Diagram_04

How Microwaves Cook Food

When you hit the start button “it usually takes about 2 seconds to heat up a filament inside the magnetron tube,” says Schiffmann. The microwaves are then blasted into the food compartment.

The commonly used frequency of microwaves, 2.45 gigahertz, is easily absorbed by water, fat, and sugar. Says Bloomfield: “The waves are at the right frequency to penetrate deep into food and they deliver cooking power primarily to the food’s water content. Water-free solids barely absorb microwaves.” That’s why microwave-safe containers don’t get as hot as the food inside them.

Microwaves heat food, like a cup of coffee or a slice of lasagna, by twisting water molecules back and forth. Water molecules are positively charged at one end and negatively charged at the other. A single water molecule looks like Mickey Mouse’s head, says Bloomfield. You can think of the negatively charged oxygen atom as Mickey’s face and the two smaller positively charged hydrogen atoms as Mickey’s ears.

The positively charged end of the water molecule tries to align itself with the microwave’s electric field while the negatively charged end points the other way. But because the field reverses 2.5 billion times a second, Mickey’s ears and face are being twisted back and forth rapidly.

As the molecules twist back and forth, they rub into each other. This creates friction, which produces heat.

Source: Business Insider

Related Posts:

  • GettyImages-1250200824
    Your iPhone Will Soon Be Able To Replicate Your…
  • kitchen decor
    4 Modern Kitchen Plumbing Updates for Your Home
  • gadgets1
    Best 6 Tech Gadgets To Make Your Home Smart
  • Solar Company D.light Launches In Nigeria, To Provide Solar Energy and Financing Solutions
    Solar Company D.light Launches In Nigeria, To…
  • ai-high-energy-consumption
    ChatGPT Uses 10x More Energy Than Google Search
  • image
    Accelerated Reels on Instagram Like TikTok
  • Processed with Lensa with PT5 filter
    Could XPLORE By Lognetics Be Creating The Next Wave…
  • Amid Ongoing Crypto Market Decline, America's Fast-food Company Chipotle Is Now Accepting Cryptocurrency As A Means Of Payment
    Amid Ongoing Crypto Market Decline, America's…

Discover more from TechBooky

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Paul Balo

Paul Balo

Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

Select Category

    Receive top tech news directly in your inbox

    subscription from
    Loading

    Freshly Squeezed

    • Top 10 Fee-Free Fintech Apps Nigerians Are Turning To After CBN’s New Charges May 8, 2025
    • Airtel Launches Mobile Money in 2026 to Rival M-Pesa & MoMo May 8, 2025
    • Nigeria Hits 172M Mobile Subscriptions; MTN Tops 90M Barrier May 8, 2025
    • WhatsApp Developing AI Chat Wallpapers & Message Summaries May 8, 2025
    • Bill Gates to Wind Down Foundation by 2045, Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Cuts May 8, 2025
    • Central Bank of Nigeria Approves Open Banking Launch This August. Here’s what to Know May 8, 2025

    Browse Archives

    May 2025
    MTWTFSS
     1234
    567891011
    12131415161718
    19202122232425
    262728293031 
    « Apr    

    Popular Tags

    africa (135) AI (497) android (367) app (717) Apple (576) artificial intelligence (419) business (482) china (132) cryptocurrency (209) ecommerce (122) enterprise (287) facebook (507) fintech (244) funding (121) gadget (558) gaming (201) google (709) government (469) instagram (173) internet (466) ios (291) iphone (246) meta (116) microsoft (369) mobile (352) new feature (384) nigeria (440) privacy (158) research (140) samsung (185) security (421) smartphone (277) social media (835) software (509) startup (419) streaming (174) telecom (242) tips (372) twitter (289) united states (216) users (158) videos (127) website (173) whatsapp (201) youtube (138)

    Quick Links

    • About TechBooky
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact us
    • Submit Article
    • Privacy Policy

    About Us

    TechBooky

    TechBooky is a social Tech blog with a special focus on the budding African Technology sector. TechBooky is currently based in Abuja, Nigeria.

    Recent News

    Top 10 Fee-Free Fintech Apps Nigerians Are Turning To After CBN’s New Charges

    Top 10 Fee-Free Fintech Apps Nigerians Are Turning To After CBN’s New Charges

    May 8, 2025
    Airtel Launches Mobile Money in 2026 to Rival M-Pesa & MoMo

    Airtel Launches Mobile Money in 2026 to Rival M-Pesa & MoMo

    May 8, 2025
    MTN Recovers ₦32 Billion in USSD Fees

    Nigeria Hits 172M Mobile Subscriptions; MTN Tops 90M Barrier

    May 8, 2025
    WhatsApp Developing AI Chat Wallpapers & Message Summaries

    WhatsApp Developing AI Chat Wallpapers & Message Summaries

    May 8, 2025
    Bill Gates to Wind Down Foundation by 2045, Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Cuts

    Bill Gates to Wind Down Foundation by 2045, Slams Elon Musk Over USAID Cuts

    May 8, 2025
    Central Bank of Nigeria Approves Open Banking Launch This August. Here’s what to Know

    Central Bank of Nigeria Approves Open Banking Launch This August. Here’s what to Know

    May 8, 2025
    • Login

    © 2021 Design By Tech Booky Elite

    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
    • African
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Gadgets
    • Metaverse
    • Tips
    • About TechBooky
    • Advertise Here
    • Submit Article
    • Contact us

    © 2021 Design By Tech Booky Elite

    Discover more from TechBooky

    Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

    Continue reading

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok