I think microwaves heat food by making the water molecules move, but why then does my Corelle bowl or plate?

Question

heat up hotter and faster than the food that is on or in it ??

Answer 1

It doesn't heat only water molecules, but since microwave ovens operate near the resonant frequency of the water molecule, they absorb the most. Corelle absorbs almost none of the microwave energy.

Microwave electromagnetic radiation penetrates food more deeply than conduction heating. Even so, the outer surfaces absorb more than the inner volume, since that is somewhat shielded. This hot outer layer is conducting its heat to the bowl or plate faster than the microwaves heat up the inside. That's why many microwave recipes suggest you stir part way through cooking.

Answer 2

The microwaves in a home microwave oven are tuned to preferentially interact with water molecules, but there are a few other materials that by coincedence adsorb at the same frequency such as alcohol, silicon carbide and some types of carbon.

Do an experiment! put your empty corelle bowl in the microwave along with a coffee cup of water, run the microwave for 1 min (If you see anything getting really hot shut it off!). Now open it up and see if your bowl is hot (be careful) This will tell you if the corelle material absorbs by itself. The reason for the cup of water is that it is bad for the oven to run it with no microwave-adsorbing material present at all. If your bowl stays cold when run empty, then the heat observed previously must be coming from the food that was in it.

Answer 3

You are right about microwaves heating up water molecules. This is the main thing it heats up, but is slowly heating up other parts of the food or object as well. Microwaves are actually a molecular vibration caused from electrons. Heat is really a molecular vibration and so certain materials will show a resonance for microwave-radiation and heat up.

Side Note: because it superheats pockets of water to very high temps, it will denature proteins and vitamins making them indigestible and sometimes semi-poisonous; it is best to heat things up the old-fashioned method as much as possible.

Answer 4

You lot have no idea what are you talking about.
This is how it works:

Microwaves are electromagnetic radiation and thus from the very basic quantum mechanics we know that the atoms are exited by this incident radiation so the quantum number n, l and m change every time a microwave photon hit an atom so the vibrational kinetic energy increases and so does the rotational part and the by means of the heat transport (in this case is mainly conduction) you meals are heated uniformly.This is of course just an overview, the main characteristics of the phenomenon have been given but for further investigation you can check Statistical Mechanics by Donal McQuarry.

Answer 5

It is heated by the friction of molecules, but is no way restricted to water. The density of the item being heated can dictate the rate that it heats. Your Corelle's molecular structure is tight, therefore will get hot at a faster rate. It also draws heat from the items placed on it.

Answer 6

because of the material... the microwave makes liquid molecules move faster to make them hot... so when you put you plate with your what in it.... the heat transfers from the food to the plate... and if the plate absorbs TOO much heat at a time... the heat completely transfers to the plate or bowl...

Answer 7

Who said microwaves only target water molecules?

Answer 8

Put an aluminum foil ball in the microwave...you'll learn something

Answer 9

it vibrates all the molecules, not just water.

Answer 10

the best way to do whatever the hell ur talking about.. is to summon demons from the outer pits of hell and make them bake cookies