How a microwave oven works to heat/cook. Is it by a sort of radaition? food thus is safe on long term basis.?

Answer 1

The microwave is not radiation. It works by vibrating the food very quickly.

It is very safe to eat food from the microwave.

Answer 2

Microwave is is the same radiation that is used in RADAR. It is a radio wave. It works in a microwave oven by exciting the molecules in the food which causes heat. The microwaves are generated by a tube called a magnetron, the same tube that is used for RADAR. That is why they are so heavy, there is a huge magnet inside. The microwaves bounce off the metal sides of the oven so they go back and forth, that is how RADAR works the waves are reflected by metal. If you look at the glass door of your oven you will see it has a metal screen in it. This screen is made such that it less then the height of the wavelength of the microwave generated by the oven so it will not pass through the glass.
So the microwaves are just radio waves there is no radiation as in an atomic bomb.

Answer 3

Believe it or not you actually know the answer you just didn't put 2 and 2 together so don't be so hard on yourself when I tell you...No it is not cooked by radiation...you wouldn't want that! But rather, it is cooked by "Microwaves". It is totally safe to use. However, it's another story if you cover your foods with plastic or cook them in plastic containers. That, I would not recommend. Aaaand if your curious on why you can't put metal utensils in the microwave (it sparks) it's because the microwaves can't flow through it.
Now, if your STILL not convinced...many years ago, my dad had a radiation detector (from his job working for the government) and found ZERO radiation coming from the microwave.

Here are a couple of quick links you may (or may not) be interested in:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/micro.html
Hope this helps!

Answer 4

you already have some views on food, but more to the point is "are you safe"?

I am not a doomsday person, but just want to point out to you that you can purchase a instrument which measures the amount of waves your machine emits when the door is closed and it is working, everyone who has a microwave oven should really have one of these, specially if it is not a new oven

Answer 5

It uses radio waves which are converted to heat. Read the article for more info.

Yes, the food is safe. (And contrary to the answer above, microwave energy IS radiation, it's just not "radioactive." Radiation includes infrared rays, or "heat", visible light, ultraviolet rays, microwave etc. They just don't leave harmful radioactivity in materials. Gamma rays, and so on ARE radioactive, but are in a different part of the spectrum.)

Note to those who think microwaves are NOT a form of radiation: Read up on the Electromagnetic spectrum! They are not "sound waves" which are mechanical energy and require a medium for transmission.

Answer 6

No radiation. Emits ultra short wave sound. The sound 'agitates' the atoms in the food. This causes heat and the food cooks. The food is totally safe unless you stand in front of the microwave all the time when it is on or you bite into it while it is still very hot.

Answer 7

The microwave emitter excites the molecules within the food, thereby generating heat.

Microwaved food is not radioactive.

Answer 8

the micro waves cook from in middle out this why when you take your cup of mud out of the nucker it always flows over if cookd 2 long when you put inn sugar

Answer 9

I don't understand the science and stuff for how it works, but I am pretty confident based on various things that I have read that it is unhealthy to eat food that has been microwaved.

Answer 10

micro-waves are the best thing since sliced bread