Cooking and Heating Food Through Radiation
Microwave ovens use microwave radiation -
a form of electromagnetic radiation.- Electromagnetic radiation is the flow of photons through space in the form of electric and magnetic fields.
- Photons are packages of energy traveling through space at the speed of light.
Microwaves
are very short radio waves that travel in an invisible circular motion through the air. It goes faster than television waves but slower than infrared rays (microwaves travel at the speed of light, 186,282 miles per second!). They are stronger than radio frequency waves, but weaker than X-rays.Microwaves
can pass through glass, ceramic, paper, plastic, and similar materials. They are reflected by metal, aluminum foil and absorbed by food. Microwaves have a positive and negative end in the same way a magnet has a north and a south pole.Microwaves warm up food by making the molecules in the food vibrate at incredible speed. Sometimes the food is vibrated so fast that the food molecules tear and rip. Microwaves are absorbed by food, but the microwaves do not make the food radioactive because they turn into heat the minute they are absorbed by food.
Backtrack
In 1946, an engineer named Percy Spencer who worked at the Raytheon Corporation was experimenting with a magnetron tube (a tube which forms microwaves). Later on, he saw that the candy bar in his pocket had melted! This puzzled him so he tried an experiment. This time he put some popcorn kernels beside the magnetron tube and went to the other end of the room. Soon the whole laboratory was full of popping popcorn!
The next morning, a curious colleague came when Spencer placed an egg near the microwaves. They both watched the egg quake and shake. Then the colleague went for a closer look when hot egg yolk was splattered all over his face.Spencer thought about this for a while. If microwaves can cook an egg, melt a candy bar, and pop popcorn maybe they can cook other foods too! Next thing you know, he was experimenting with the magnetron tube placed in a metal box, which he also put food in. The microwaves reflected off the metal sides and cooked the food. There you go! The first microwave oven!
Additional Facts
Microwave radiation can be used in many ways. Here are some of
the ways:
� Detecting speeding cars and motorcycles
� Sending telephone messages
� TV broadcasting
� Curing and drying plywood
� Treating muscle soreness
� Curing resins and rubber
� Raising bread and doughnuts
� Cooking potato chips
I hope I have added a new knowledge on you today.
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