how do cockroaches survive the microwave?

Question

i have seen cockroaches survive as long as five minutes in the microwave... why dont they get cooked?

Answer 1

Roaches are flat. The microwave radiation's electric field intensity falls to nearly zero as you approach the conducting inner wall. The oscillating E field is what heats water.

Answer 2

Althought slightly disturbing that you have "seen" cockroaches survive in a microwave for 5 minutes, the answer is fairly simple. Cockroaches simply don't have much liquids, fats, or sugars in their bodies.

That's mostly what microwaves heats up. The molecules in these compounds are called dipoles, and have a positive charge and negative charge at either end (such as water). When the microwave field hits the water, these molucles attempt to line up which results in a lot of motion. Motion results in heat at the molecular level. That's another reason that microwaves can seem to heat food from the inside out, since it affects the entire object at once on the molecular level.

Our little friend the cockroach simply does not have enough water, fat, liquid etc., to cook as fast as, say, a cup of coffee.

Try this (and it's certainly less disgusting than microwaving cockroaches):

Microwave a dry paper towel and a wet paper towel.

Or a saltine cracker versus a bowl of applesauce.

The dry stuff won't get hot, while the other stuff will boil.

Answer 3

Well, cockroaches do have some water in them. All living things do.

On the Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments page (see below), there is an explanation as to why ants don't get cooked by a microwave, and it probably applies to cockroaches, too. Microwaves don't heat the entire compartment evenly. In a few places there are "cool spots" where the microwave rays barely reach at all. That's why microwaves have turntables, so the foot moves in and out of the cool spots and cooks evenly. A cockroach could crawl into one of the cool spots and stay there.

I really recommend checking out the Unwise Microwave Experiments page. He's got a lot of information about how microwaves work there.

Answer 4

human beings at here have already replied this. here is the superb answer i could discover: Cockroaches merely don't have plenty beverages, fat, or sugars of their bodies. it particularly is customarily what microwaves heats up. The molecules in those compounds are observed as dipoles, and have an excellent can charge and destructive can charge at the two end (including water). whilst the microwave field hits the water, those molucles attempt to line up which leads to a large variety of action. action leads to warmth on the molecular point. it particularly is yet another excuse that microwaves can look to warmth nutrients from the interior out, because of the fact it impacts the entire merchandise at as quickly as on the molecular point. Our little chum the cockroach merely does no longer have sufficient water, fat, liquid etc., to prepare dinner as rapid as, say, a cup of espresso.

Answer 5

Cockroaches are aliens from outer space and they cannot be stopped by any human. You have to hit them with a fliutgfdhren ray (from outer space) to kill them

Answer 6

i think it has to do with the exoskeleton, solids dont get hot in a microwave, the organic liquid/foods get hot first and that causes solids to get hot. although i haven't done it personally, i'm pretty sure a roach would die fairly quickly heh.

Answer 7

oh that's gross. Why are you microwaving cockroaches anyway?

Answer 8

They have a high immunity to electrical fields

Answer 9

i think that if there isn't anything else to eat in your cupboards, you shouldn't resort to eating cockroaches. gross.

Answer 10

microwaves boil water.

obviously, since cockroaches are solid, they have no water.

also, their blood is solid.