Science of Micro Oven
How Micro-Oven works?
At first let us understand what 'cooking' means
We take certain food stuff in a vessel and keep over a flame. The heat emitted by the flame is first absorbed by the vessel and then by the water, oil and fat in the vessel and transfer to the food stuff. Then the atoms in the food stuff absorb the heat and cooking is complete.
But in micro oven it is different. The heat here is directly given to the atoms of the food stuff and cooking is complete. Without the vessel containing food stuff is heated. Thus it is ‘cooking’ without a flame. More over it is interesting to note the cooking in micro oven is made by the ‘radio waves’ which entertains you through music from a radio.
The frequency of the waves used in a micro oven will be in the range of 2500 mega hertz (microwaves). Just as light waves, the microwaves are also electromagnetic waves and will have wavelength which is more than that of light. These waves cannot be experienced by human eye and are invisible.
As soon as the switch of micro oven is “on” within seconds. The micro waves are produced. Then atoms of food stuffs kept in the oven will absorb these waves directly. These waves enter into the food stuffs and make the atoms inside to collide vigorously. So that within a very short time sufficient heat is produced. So that food cooked quickly.
Interestingly micro waves are not absorbed by glass, ceramic and plastic substances. Since these substances cannot absorb the micro waves the energy of the waves can’t decrease. Hence the food stuffs to be cooked in micro oven are kept in vessels made of glass, ceramic and plastic, So that the energy of the waves is not lost to the vessels. That is how though the food is cooked and hot, the vessels will remain cool. Microwaves will not enter into metal vessels and will be reflected and produce “sparks”. Hence metal vessels should not be used in a micro oven.
While using a micro-oven precaution should be taken, so that the microwaves are not to be leaked out of the oven as they can cause unimaginable harm to our body.
At first let us understand what 'cooking' means
We take certain food stuff in a vessel and keep over a flame. The heat emitted by the flame is first absorbed by the vessel and then by the water, oil and fat in the vessel and transfer to the food stuff. Then the atoms in the food stuff absorb the heat and cooking is complete.
But in micro oven it is different. The heat here is directly given to the atoms of the food stuff and cooking is complete. Without the vessel containing food stuff is heated. Thus it is ‘cooking’ without a flame. More over it is interesting to note the cooking in micro oven is made by the ‘radio waves’ which entertains you through music from a radio.
The frequency of the waves used in a micro oven will be in the range of 2500 mega hertz (microwaves). Just as light waves, the microwaves are also electromagnetic waves and will have wavelength which is more than that of light. These waves cannot be experienced by human eye and are invisible.
As soon as the switch of micro oven is “on” within seconds. The micro waves are produced. Then atoms of food stuffs kept in the oven will absorb these waves directly. These waves enter into the food stuffs and make the atoms inside to collide vigorously. So that within a very short time sufficient heat is produced. So that food cooked quickly.
Interestingly micro waves are not absorbed by glass, ceramic and plastic substances. Since these substances cannot absorb the micro waves the energy of the waves can’t decrease. Hence the food stuffs to be cooked in micro oven are kept in vessels made of glass, ceramic and plastic, So that the energy of the waves is not lost to the vessels. That is how though the food is cooked and hot, the vessels will remain cool. Microwaves will not enter into metal vessels and will be reflected and produce “sparks”. Hence metal vessels should not be used in a micro oven.
While using a micro-oven precaution should be taken, so that the microwaves are not to be leaked out of the oven as they can cause unimaginable harm to our body.
Prof. Laxmi... Emani
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