Why the microwaves in microwave oven cease as soon as door is opened or timer reaches zero?

Question

Food cooked in microwave oven does present any radiation risk. The microwaves produced do not remain in food neither in the oven. Why is it so?

Answer 1

There is a switch so that when the door is opened, the microwave turns off. That's the simple answer. Or, here's the long answer.

I think you may be confusing nuclear radiation with electromagnetic radiation. They are totally different. Even though we sometimes use the term "nuke" to refer to cooking in a microwave oven, it has nothing to do with atomic fission.

The microwaves turn off as fast as turning off a light, and for the same reason too. There is no half-life to electromagnetic radiation.

Electromagnetic radiation is made up of a self-propagating wave that has two parts: an electric field and a magnetic field. They alternate polarities and regenerate each other as the wave propagates.

Nuclear radiation is from high speed electrons, protons, neutrons, and gamma rays. But gamma rays can also be classified as electromagnetic radiation because they are ultra high energy photons.

Nuclear radiation is ionizing, meaning that it can bump electrons off of molecules. This damages the material exposed to nuclear radiation.

Microwaves are non-ionizing radiation. They just make the molecules vibrate faster (heat up).

Answer 2

The opening safety lock prevents u from getting radiated and loosing your eyes. The door can be damaged and leak radiation which could be very bad for your eyes. Do not allow children to get very closet to the door and don't play with the microwave.

Answer 3

Microwaves travel at the speed of light, which is one foot per nanosecond. Microwave energy in the oven are absorbed by water molecules in the food; it makes the water molecules vibrate, which means the food is warm.

Answer 4

Microwaves agitate the molecules of fats, sugar, and water within the food causing them to rub together.
This rubbing together is what causes the heat.