Why can aluminum foil go in the oven but not the microwave oven?

Question

please don't call me a dumbass....

Answer 1

because the micro waves can not alter the mocules in the aluminim, thats what a microwave does it messes with the mocules in stuff. just think what it is really doing to your food.

Answer 2

Here's the EXACT reason (and you are NOT a dumbass!):

Any metal or conductive object placed into the microwave will act as an antenna to some degree, resulting in an electric current. This causes the object to act as a heating element. This effect varies with the object's shape and composition.

Any object containing pointed metal can create an electric arc (cause sparks) when microwaved. This includes cutlery, aluminum foil, ceramics decorated with metal, and most anything containing any type of metal. Forks are a good example. This is because the tines of the fork resonate with the microwave radiation and produce high voltage at the tips. The air forms a conductive plasma, which is visible as a spark. The plasma and the tines may then form a conductive loop, which may be a more effective antenna, resulting in a longer lived spark. Any time dielectric breakdown occurs in air, some ozone and nitrogen oxides are formed, both of which are toxic.-

You could have a Lightening Storm in your microwave! Cool, but dangerous :)

Answer 3

Because microwave ovens work by using high frequency radio waves to cook food due to the fact that it is being absorbed by water, fats and sugar. When it is absorbed, it is translated into heat.
Now, do you wonder why only the food are hot and not the microwaveable materials? Because certain plastics and ceramics allow the wave to pass through, metals (like aluminum foils), on the other hand, reflects radio wave.
Therefore, you can't use metals inside the microwave oven.
Conventional ovens, use heat, so metal containers can be used.

Answer 4

Because regular ovens use gas or electric elements which produce heat. Microwaves use just that, microwaves. Basically it's high powered electromagnetic waves. These waves are exactly what your cell phone uses, only your phone uses lower power and different frequencies. These waves reflect off of the aluminum foil, and can damage the tube in the microwave oven. The waves actually vibrate the water molecules in the food and produce heat that way, essentially cooking from the inside out.

Answer 5

Basically the way microwaves work is they bounce waves off of the specially made walls and if you use aluminum foil or any other metal you interupt or reflect the "waves".

When metallic objects are indiscriminately placed in a microwave oven cooking cavity, the energy pattern becomes disrupted and distorted. This condition produces arcing. When two metal objects, such as a metal bowl and the [metal] cavity wall, are placed in close proximity and subjected to an intense field of microwave energy, arcing will result. Arcing occurs because the air between the two metallic objects becomes electrically charged, just as the air between a thundercloud and the earth becomes charged or ionized. This ionized air becomes an electrical conductor, and electric current then leaps the gap like a small bolt of lightning.

Answer 6

Microwaves emit rays and waves which the aluminum catches and discharges by potential of burning. by no potential positioned steel interior the MICROwAVE!!!!!! Ovens emit no rays and waves like microwaves do, so the aluminum in basic terms gets warm like eveything else interior the oven.

Answer 7

Oven pouts off heat and a microwave puts off 'MICRO WAVES (a type of radiation) that reacts with metal

Answer 8

I think they cant go in because of the waves of radiation. I am not sure but I know metal will make the microwave mess up.

Answer 9

Because it will spark!

Answer 10

BECAUSE IT BLOWS UP