How does a Microwave Work

We return late from work, or are running late in the morning and have no time to cook, what do we do? Just pop a ready to eat pack of lasagna in the microwave and in no time you have hot delicious food on your plate. Microwave ovens have become an integral part of our kitchen and there are times when days go by without having to light our kitchen fire. These microwaves have made living a fast-paced life easier. So, how does a microwave manage to heat a frozen food without spoiling it or burning it? The answer lies in the way food is heated in a microwave.

What is a Microwave Oven

A microwave is an electromagnetic wave that is absorbed by matter like water, fats, proteins and sugars. The microwave was discovered during the second World War by Dr. Percy Le Baron Spencer, an American engineer who was working on special waves that were to be used in radars. After a particular experiment, Spencer noticed that some of the candies in his pocket had become hot, to the extent of melting. This discovery was later on used to make the microwave ovens that we use today. The microwave has developed at an amazing speed, and within a time span of 50 years, it has become an indispensable house hold appliance. Thus, food that gets heated, is due to these electromagnetic waves.

How does a Microwave Work

The microwave working principle is very simple. The electromagnetic waves that are absorbed by the food inside the oven, heat the molecules of water, fats and sugar, causing them to vibrate at a very high rate. Friction is generated by the vibrating molecules, which causes the food to heat up. A microwave oven is capable of producing the electromagnetic radiations that cause this molecular friction. Hence, there is no need for preheating the oven. As the stage of preheating is eliminated, the electricity consumption of the microwave oven is also less, as compared to a normal oven. The only drawback is that the microwave oven needs to have many safety circuits, in order to protect the user from electromagnetic wave exposure.

We use microwave ovens almost everyday to heat food, cook food, and grill food. But have we ever wondered how does the microwave oven work actually. The microwave oven works on the principle of molecular friction that has been elaborated upon in the above paragraph. The construction and working of the microwave oven that we use today is pretty complex. The oven takes in electrical energy through a simple electricity transformer. The transformer then passes on the electricity to the cavity magnetron. This device is the most important device in the process of wave production, as it converts the electrical energy into microwave radiation. The radiation then goes through a magnetron control circuit and waveguide, where the waves are controlled and directed into the cooking chamber. This basic process is surrounded by many safety features such as the door safety system, which shuts off the wave production, if the door of the oven is suddenly opened. The temperature control system controls the temperature within the cooking chamber and shuts off the oven in case of very high temperature.

Many different variants of the microwave oven have started appearing in the market. The variants have integrated technologies and systems, that have further enhanced the microwave as a kitchen appliance.