why dont paper plates heat up in the microwave?

Answer 1

Microwave will emit waves that will vibrate the water molecules in your food, that why your food gets heated up. The paper plate doesn't have any water molecules so it won't get heated up.

Answer 2

Because microwaves heat by exciting water molecules, and unless the paper plate is wet there is nothing there for the microwaves to heat up.

Answer 3

microwaves work by sending microwave energy through the food. the microwaves switch direction very rapidly, and the more charged a molecule is, the more it will try to line up with the microwave's direction. since a molecule can't turn 180 degrees to line up with the microwave's switched direction quickly enough, the extra energy it's absorbing from trying to line up is used as friction, which in turn is released as heat. the more directional a molecule's charge is, and the more mobile the molecule is, the more susceptible it is to the microwaves warming it up. water is very polar (has an uneven distribution of charge throughout its molecules) and is very small/mobile (i.e. it has little problem rotating a lot), so it is very susceptible to microwaves. the cellulose in paper is large, polymerized molecules with a rather even distribution of charge throughout its chains, so microwaves have a hard time turning its molecules back and forth rapidly, and they don't heat up as a result.

Answer 4

A microwave oven uses microwaves to heat food. Microwaves are radio waves. In the case of microwave ovens, the commonly used radio wave frequency is roughly 2,500 megahertz (2.5 gigahertz). Radio waves in this frequency range have an interesting property: they are absorbed by water, fats and sugars. When they are absorbed they are converted directly into atomic motion -- heat. Microwaves in this frequency range have another interesting property: they are not absorbed by most plastics, glass or ceramics. Metal reflects microwaves, which is why metal pans do not work well in a microwave oven.
Paper does not contain water, fats or sugars

Answer 5

Because paper, certain plastics, and some other materials are transparent to microwaves just as glass is transparent to light. In other words, the radiation passes through some materials without being absorbed. Heat is generated only when energy, whether microwaves or light, is absorbed by matter.

Answer 6

microwave emit electromagnetic waves which vibrate the atoms of a susbtance constantly and due to friction it heat up. paper plates will heat up after but along period because it is not agood conducter of heat

Answer 7

The paper doesnt conduct heat as well of other substances like water, oil or metal. If left in there longer it would heat up, but not remain so for long.

Answer 8

Because they're dry.

Microwaves work by agitating and heating water molecules mostly.

Dry stuff usually won't heat up much if any at all.

If there are impurities in them, they make heat up in spots or catch fire even!

Answer 9

It made from woods and has water molecules so they earn heat and heat up

Answer 10

some do ,but the reason some dont ,is because they have a special coating on them .