What is Microwave?

Microwave is a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum). It is often used for heating food and water. It is also widely used in radar for aircraft, ships and weather forecasters to work out how far away objects are by sending bursts of microwaves out and measuring the time it takes for the echoes to come back to work out their distance.

Microwaves are reflected by metal, can pass through glass and plastic and are absorbed by the water in foodstuffs and some other substances. This results in dielectric heating which is very rapid and causes a noticeable reduction in cooking time. Microwaves are also used in industry for drying and curing products such as wood and rubber, to heat materials such as glass and ceramics, and to generate plasma for semiconductor processing techniques such as reactive ion etching and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

All microwave ovens must comply with federal safety standards and the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health enforces these standards to ensure that microwaves are not a health hazard. The amount of safe leaked radiation from a microwave oven during its lifetime is well below any level that could cause harm to you.