Microwaves and Microwave Oven

History
 The idea of microwave oven was first
conceived by Percy L. Spencer in 1946 and
finally patented in 1950.
 Mechanism：the principle of frictional heat
production using microwaves.
 The early ovens are huge--weighted over
300 kg and measured over 1.5 metre in
height--were mainly used in large
restaurants and food outlets.
 The first home version was produced by
Raytheon Corporation in 1965.
 What are Microwaves？
 Microwaves are electromagnetic waves which
consists of both electric and magnetic fields
perpendicular to each other and propagates at the
speed of light.
 Microwaves form parts of the electromagnetic
spectrum with typical wavelengths from 1 millimetre to
10 centimetres – something in between light waves
and radio waves.
 Microwaves are also used in telecommunications, e.g.,
radars, wireless computer networks and mobile phones.
 The entire universe is filled with microwave radiation
left by the Big Bang explosion of the early Universe.
 The Microwave Oven

 The microwave generator is a

magnetron.
 Magnetron converts electrical
energy into microwave energy.
Microwaves produced are
transported to the cooking
chamber by a wave-guide. A domestic microwave oven

 The cooking chamber is designed to contain the microwave,

so that microwave bounces off the walls like beams of light
in a mirrored room around.
 Metal wiring in the glass window of the door keeps the
microwaves from leaving the cooking chamber.
 Cooking with Microwaves

 Microwave cooking is a process of exciting the

water molecules in food. Food substance that
does not contain water, such as oil, usually does
not get cooked in a microwave.
 The polarized water molecules in the food will get
pulled back and forth at the rate of about 2.5 billion
times per second by the electric fields of the
microwaves.
 This rapid back-and-forth motion between the
water molecules creates friction, and hence heat.
 Microwave can only penetrate about 3.5 to
5 cm into the food. The centre of the food
is mainly cooked by heat conduction.
 The interference effect of the microwaves
produces the hot and cold spots on the
food，a turntable or a rotating source is
often used to distribute evenly around the
food,
 Cooking with Microwaves

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 The exact amount of microwave energy
need to cook a piece of food depends on its
properties.
 Food substance containing a substantial
amount of water is a good absorber of
microwave energy.
 The effectiveness of microwave cooking are
determined by the shape and material
composite of the container used. Round
containers are generally more suitable.
 Metallic Objects
 Microwave radiation can pass through plastic and glass,
but not metallic objects. This is why the glass window of
the doors of a microwave is laced with metal wiring.
 Metals reflect microwaves. When microwaves are
reflected from a metallic object, it produces a so-called
arcing effect. Arcing results from the build-up of
excessive charges in metallic materials.
 When two or more metallic objects, e.g., a metallic food
container and the metallic interior of the wall, are
placed close to each other causing the air between
them to ionize, producing sparks.
 If the arcing object is further bombarded by microwaves,
the temperature of the object rises sharply and
overheats and eventually causing a fire in the oven.
Superheating
 It is known to occur when a cup of water is
heated in a microwave oven.
 The water is referred to as superheated when its
temperature increases above its normal boiling
point (the boiling point for water at standard
atmospheric pressure is 100oC ).
 The superheated state is an unstable state.
 The presence of an external agent such as a
spoon or even milk powder can cause the
superheated water to boil vigorously into
explosion.
 If one litre of water is superheated by only 1oC, it
can produce about 3 litres of steam.
 Safety of Microwaves
 Metallic objects or boil water should not put in
microwave oven.
 Other tests have revealed that nearly all microwave
ovens in the market emit microwaves whilst in
operation.
 Mobile phones：Will the heat produced by
microwave radiation affect our body?
 Micro-waved food：Some tests have revealed that
the molecular structures of nutrient in vegetables,
such as carrots and broccoli, are being deformed at
cellular level by high frequency microwaves.
~ End ~