HOW MICROWAVE OVENS

WORK

A microwave oven works by bombarding food

with electromagnetic radiation in the microwave-
frequency spectrum. That may sound scary, but bear
in mind that not all electromagnetic radiation is bad.
Both heat and visible light, for instance, consist of
electromagnetic radiation in a frequency spectrum
that our eyes or heat-sensitive nerves are able to
detect.
Charged molecules—such as water molecules—
will have a tendency to try to align themselves with
the electric field created by a microwave, so as the
long waves of a microwave¶ ¶ pass by them, they
will rapidly flip back and forth as they try to stay
aligned. The resultant friction cooks your food.
Microwaves can penetrate deeply into solid matter—
up to several centimeters—though the denser and
thicker the food, the less penetration a microwave
will get. Dense, relatively dry items, like, say, your
sister’s My Little Pony dolls, can take a long time to
heat up (not that I’d know through personal
experience). Porous, moist slices of eggplant, on the
other hand, are microwave gold, cooking evenly and
rapidly.