A microwave oven uses electromagnetic radiation to cook food. This energy passes through the food and excites molecules on the atomic level. The friction created by these molecules heats the food. Microwave ovens use a device called a magnetron to produce these waves.
Once these microwaves reach the food they are reflected off of it in the same pattern as waves in water, producing peaks (with lots of microwaves) and troughs (no microwaves). The rotating turntable in your microwave moves the food around like a carousel so that every part of your meal gets heated evenly. Metal objects reflect microwaves, but glass and plastic absorb them.
The waveguide/cover is a metal tube that transports the microwaves from the magnetron to the cooking cavity, making sure that these waves can pass through the food without escaping.
Once the microwaves get to the food they are absorbed by its water, fat, and sugar molecules. These molecules excite the electrons orbiting their nucleus, which gives them more energy. These electrons then run into the other molecules in the food, causing friction that creates heat. The heat cooks the food. This is why the food inside the microwave becomes hot but the air outside the oven does not.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates the amount of radiation that can leak from microwave ovens through gaps in the door or seals. The FDA also sets limits for radiation exposure from a microwave oven’s magnetron and cooking cavity during normal operation. These regulations are intended to protect you from the health risks associated with radiation exposure. For more information about microwave radiation and its health effects see the websites of the Health Physics Society, a group of scientists that studies ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.
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