Please provide a DETAILED SCIENTIFIC explantion, and credit/link your source(s).
2006-10-16 14:49:36 · 6 answers · asked by BugsBiteBack 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It's as complicated and simple as why fire heats food. The microwave energy is absorbed by moecules in the food, making them vibrate and converting that energy to heat. It isn't "tuned" to water, because fat (containing hydrocarbon chains) gets sizzling hot. Bacon really does fry. A small wire, like a baggie tie, picks up the energy very efficiently and gets extremely hot. Do you want to know what all picks up the energy? Search "Unwise microwave oven experiments." You can light a charcoal briquette in a microwave oven because it's conductive and concentrates the energy within itself. Small chunks of charcoal light in seconds.
2006-10-16 15:54:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
read the Wiki entry on this. The basic priciple is that there are many polar molecules (like water and fat) that vibrate when exposed to microwaves of a very particular wavelength.
2006-10-17 09:07:58 · answer #2 · answered by Mark 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The wavelength of microwave used to heat food is just the right wavelength to excite, and thereby heat, water molecules.
2006-10-16 14:56:12 · answer #3 · answered by Rochester 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
microwaves penetrate the food and make the molecules vibrate, as the vibrate faster and faster they create heat warming the food.
2006-10-16 14:52:03 · answer #4 · answered by pecora2404 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its not a "mechanism." Microwave ovens generate microwaves. Microwaves actually do the cooking. Its a radiation thing.
2006-10-16 15:00:40 · answer #5 · answered by pathstr8 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
The little electrons find the microwave quite stimulating!
2006-10-16 14:55:53 · answer #6 · answered by rockEsquirrel 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋