If not the brain; does it cause any harm if you watch your food through the glass being microwave-cooked?
2006-10-13 05:24:34 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Microwave ovens use microwaves with a frequency of a little over 2GHz. The effect of microwaves on human beings is a heating effect, you will have noticed this while cooking food.
The oven door contains a metal mess screen in the front and a clever arrangement of 1/4 wave slots forming a choke around the edge of the door to prevent radiation of energy. The mesh screen is very good but like most things not absolutely perfect. The arrangement around the edge of the door is good but once again, not perfect. This arrangement will become less efficient if it becomes dirty, damaged or corroded.
It is possible that with old, dirty or damaged ovens the level of radiation may be above normally accepted limits. 2GHz is not ionizing radiation, you are not going to develope cancer, grow extra legs or glow in the dark. Your brain is contained inside a nice calcium box (the skull) which protects it from electromagnetic radiation to a very great extent. Your eyes have a very poor blood supply and can therefore not be efficiently cooled by the body. Heating damage is most likely to result in cattaracts. This sort of damage would require regular expossure over a number of years and is really unlikely to occur.
Anyone with any sense would not spend a lot of time up close to a microwave oven staring into it. Whilst the possibility of damage is very slight, it is reasonable to take sensible precautions. You can also buy suitable radiation monitors to check your oven on a regular basis.
Parents say all sorts of things to frighten children into avoiding danger. In many instances, parents know that there is a pottential danger but not exactly what it is or how severe it is and so they make things up.
I have worked as a radio engineer around all sorts of microwave, including radar, devices for over 30 years. I do not stare into my microwave oven while it is switched on.
2006-10-13 06:20:02 · answer #1 · answered by Stewart H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not. Those parents are liars. The metal screen at the front of the microwave acts like a mirror and keeps the microwaves in. Microwaves are about an inch wide remember. They're just called microwaves because they're smaller than radio waves.
2006-10-13 05:29:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No cancer but it does show you are not to bright.
2016-03-18 08:51:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not on a modern microwave. An older microwave did give out radiation, but not the new ones.
2006-10-13 05:32:24 · answer #4 · answered by babydoll29710 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prolonged exposure can lead to cancer with the radiation that microwaves emit. It's not good practise to stand so close while it is on. Same with the old computer monitors. The monitors emit radiation from the back.
2006-10-13 05:30:13 · answer #5 · answered by alkenlem 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Modern microwaves are safe, but if you find yourself spending hours staring into the microwave then consider another hobby.
2006-10-13 05:32:23 · answer #6 · answered by Plasmapuppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'd be harmed if you opened the door and held down the buttons manually so the microwave oven could be on with the door open.
2006-10-13 05:53:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Modern microwaves are perfectly safe
2006-10-13 05:25:56 · answer #8 · answered by QuestionWyrm 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The radiation that comes from it can be dangerous. However, I think you'd have to do it often to cause a problem.
2006-10-13 05:32:53 · answer #9 · answered by Coco 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably not. If the seal around the door is faulty, then perhaps some leakage could occur. If so, then your brain isn't the only thing that could be damaged.
2006-10-13 05:28:53 · answer #10 · answered by leonogroske 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋