Today, we take microwave ovens for granted. They are incredibly useful appliances that we can use to heat and cook food. Most homes have a microwave in addition to a conventional oven. But how does a microwave work? How do microwaves cook food?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people will not know the answer to these questions – they just know how to use one! This article answers these mind-boggling questions and looks at how microwaves heat food and when they were invented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the name implies, microwave ovens use microwaves to create heat energy. Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic radiation<\/strong>. They are electromagnetic waves and magnetic energy that move through space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Electromagnetic radiation has a broad spectrum. This includes everything from long radio waves to short gamma rays. Microwaves are within this spectrum and are a form of non-ionising radiation<\/a>. This means that they do not contain enough energy to change the formation of atoms within elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from dielectric heating, microwaves are also used in many other ways. For example, uses of microwaves include speed cameras<\/strong>, and they are also used in telecommunication systems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three main properties that make microwaves suitable for cooking food:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But how does this work, and how do microwave ovens cook food? We look at the two main processes below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, microwaves have to be generated for the cooking process. Microwave ovens work via the inclusion of a microwave generator called a magnetron<\/strong>. When the microwave oven is turned on, the magnetron takes electricity from the power source. Converting electricity, it then turns it into high-powered radio waves or microwaves<\/strong>. Therefore, a magnetron is used to generate microwaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the magnetron has generated microwaves, they must be directed towards the food. Firstly, the microwaves are pointed through a small channel known as a waveguide. This guide channels the waves into the main cooking chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The microwaves bounce back and forth in the chamber due to the metal panels installed inside the walls. However, the microwaves do not bounce off of the food. Instead, microwaves pass inside the food<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The microwaves penetrate inside the food, and as they do, they make the food molecules inside vibrate quickly. The fast-vibrating molecules produce more energy and, thus, heat up. The more radio waves pass through the food, the more the molecules vibrate, and the hotter the food<\/a> becomes. This is essentially the cooking process and how a microwave oven cooks food more quickly than conventional ovens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microwave ovens typically contain a rotating turntable<\/strong> to ensure the food cooks evenly. The microwave turntable spins slowly while the microwaves are being fired from the magnetron. This makes sure that they penetrate every part of the food and cook it throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMicrowave Ovens – Using a Microwave Generator to Cook Food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Microwaves are Generated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How This Process Heats Food<\/h3>\n\n\n\n