Microwave

How do microwave works?

Microwave
-> We have used an extremely ordinary microwave oven in our experiment to prove the existence of
nodes and antinodes in standing waves.

-> We placed a piece of chocolate in a microwave and heated it for 1 minute at a low/warm setting.

-> A microwave cooks food by heating using microwaves (energy). The microwaves bounce around in
the chamber and uses radiation to heat the food. The frequency of microwave in usual microwave oven
is 2.45 GHz
Standing wave

→ A standing wave occurs when two waves of the same frequency and amplitude are moving in
opposite directions and interfere with each other.

→ Certain points called nodes are where the amplitude is zero and other points called antinodes
are where the amplitude fluctuates at maximum intensity.

→ An example of a standing wave is a plucked guitar string where a string emits a particular
sound frequency depending on the string length. Each string only makes certain notes because
only certain standing waves are able to form on that string.
Node and antinode

- Node is the point on standing waves that doesn’t oscillate, particle on this point doesn’t
move at all.
- Antinode is the point on standing wave with maximum displacement, particles on this
point moves up and down the most.

* particles is not the most accurate word as electromagnetic wave doesn’t involve transfer of medium.
However it is similar concept.

There are two links that demonstrate standing waves more clearly.
 1. Standing wave is not formed in the beginning

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-a-string_en.html

In microwave oven, one side of oven emit microwave while the other side reflect the microwave. This ensures
that the two waves traveling towards each other have exactly same frequency and wavelength.

-> Standing wave doesn’t always form either

e.g: between two fixed points,

Only waves with wavelength, 2L/n, can form

Standing waves.

N: any positive integer

L: distance between two points

2. Mathematical model of standing waves

https://www.desmos.com/calculator/shezjuzver

This link shows a demonstration of how two waves combine to give a standing wave.

You can see that:

The minima point, or the node, is the destructive interference of the two waves

The maxima point, or the antinode, is the constructive interference of the two waves.
Experiment to find out wavelength

Experiment setup Two antinodes

 Calculate wavelength

As we mentioned earlier, the antinodes are the

point where constructive interference happens
and is the point of highest energy, giving a short
time of heating, chocolate at these two points
should melt much faster than other parts.

As we see earlier, distance between two successive

antinodes is half a wavelength. So l = 2d

6.2 * 2 = 12.4 cm
Speed of light

Speed of light = frequency x wavelength

c=fxλ

Frequency = 2.45GHz

Wavelength = 12.4cm

So:

2.45GHz = 2.45 x 10⁹Hz

12.4cm = 0.124m

(2.45 x 10⁹Hz) x 0.124

= 3.038 x 10⁸m/s