I saw a report yesterday on CNN that said they are so small that they can run to the edges on the inside and miss the waves. I don't care to try this, but I was wondering from all you science gurus if this is true, and if it is, could you please explain in plain english for all us non-science gurus how they can survive? Thanks, from a non-science gal.
2007-06-10 03:40:41 · 5 answers · asked by TotallylovesTodd! 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Microwave ovens work by using the microwaves to heat the water inside the material being cooked. The higher the water content the better things cook.
Ants have an exoskeleton made of chitin. It does not contain water. Inside the ants you find body fluids which contain water, but the ratio of water (in the fluids) to chitin exoskeleton is so low that there is not enough water to cause the ants to explode.
The explosion would come from the water boiling inside the ants and turning to vapor. A gas (vapor) takes up about 1000 times more space than a liquid. The boiling water causes the gases to try and take up more room. As the gases expand they cause the "explosion" you are speaking of. Ants do not have enough water to boil and expand to force the exoskeleton to explode.
2007-06-10 03:45:02 · answer #1 · answered by physandchemteach 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Two reasons. First, the microwave intensity drops quickly to a very low value as you approach the surface of the conducting walls of a microwave oven (where the ants crawl). Second, being very small, ants have a very high surface area to volume ratio. The rate of heat loss is proportional to surface area. For a conventional heat source, heating is also proportional to area, so there is no benefit to being small. However, the heating rate in a microwave is proportional to volume, since it heats the bulk directly. Being small then means the cooling rate (area) can keep up with the heating rate (volume) without getting too hot.
2007-06-10 06:10:00 · answer #2 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ants, cockroaches, some other things too. It is not because they are so small they can "hide" from the waves though. Microwaves excite water molecules and that's how the heat is created. The water in these insects is not free water, it is bound to other molecules inside their body and therefor harder to excite, so the insect can withstand it.
2007-06-10 03:48:26 · answer #3 · answered by justin b 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Try it ..... and let me know..... I heard if you give alka selzter to seguals they exsplode ... now that is cruel isnt ..
2007-06-10 03:48:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Would hate to see this done or have to clean it up.
But my question is - WHY?????
2007-06-10 03:50:58 · answer #5 · answered by somepurpose 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋