Microwaves and Cooking

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with frequencies above 3000 MHz (which is also the frequency of visible light). Microwaves can be used for communication, radar and cooking.

The microwave oven was invented by accident in 1945 by Percy Spencer, an engineer working on radar at Raytheon. He noticed that a candy bar in his pocket was melting, and he investigated how to use microwaves for cooking. The first commercial microwave ovens were expensive, but by the 1980s they were common household appliances.

Like radio waves, microwaves can pass through materials such as glass and ceramics. They are absorbed by the water molecules in foods and other substances, and the energy they generate causes them to vibrate rapidly, which heats the food. This process is called volumetric heating, and it reduces the cooking time compared with conventional methods such as boiling or baking.

Although microwaves can be used to reheat food, it’s important to note that they don’t heat evenly, so you should stir the food halfway through cooking. It’s also important to avoid overheating foods, because this can damage the nutrients and cause the formation of harmful compounds.

Although the use of microwaves in cooking has been controversial, they are safe to use and are more convenient than traditional heating. However, it’s important to remember that microwaves are dangerous to humans if they are exposed to intense levels of radiation for extended periods of time. Exposure to microwaves at high intensity can destroy living tissue, and repeated and prolonged exposure can lead to cataracts in the eyes because it denatures proteins in the eye’s crystalline lens.