What's happening inside your microwave?
Every day, millions of us quickly heat food using a microwave. The source of the microwave's heating power is the "magnetron", which generates microwaves by taking electricity from a power outlet and converting it into high-powered, 12 cm (4.7 inch) radio waves. It then blasts these waves into your food, which spins to ensure even cooking. The microwaves bounce off reflective metal walls inside the food compartment until they meet your food. As they travel through the food, they cause its molecules to vibrate more quickly. And, since vibrating molecules produce heat, your food heats up! Thanks for dinner, Magnetron.