How a Microwave Oven Works?

By: Emmy Mak

What are Microwaves?

Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy, like light

waves or radio waves

Microwaves are used extensively in communications

such as to relay long-distance telephone signals, television programs and

computer information across the earth or to a satellite in space.

Good for transmitting information because it can penetrate

haze, light rain and snow, clouds, and smoke.

Also used in radars and in detecting speeding cars.

Microwave has become most familiar as the energy source

for cooking food.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Electromagnetic
radiation exists in a
range of frequencies
called the
electromagnetic
spectrum.
Each frequency has a
specific wavelength and
as the frequency
decreases, the actual
length of the wave gets
longer.

Table 1: Frequency and Wavelength Range of Each Radiation

Type in the Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Radiation Type

Frequency Range (Hz)

Wavelength Range

Gamma rays

above 3 x 1019

< 10-12 m

X-rays

3 x 1017 - 3 x 1019

1 nm - 1 pm

Ultraviolet Radiation

7.5 x 1014 - 3 x 1017

400 nm - 1 nm

Visible Spectrum

3.8 x 1014 - 7.5 x 1014

750 nm - 380 nm

Infrared Radiation

1011 - 3.8 x 1014

25 um - 2.5 um

Microwaves

108 - 1012

1 mm - 25 um

Radio waves

104 - 108

>1 mm

History

Invented accidentally by Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer

While testing a magnetron during work, he discovered
the candy bar in his pocket melted
Experimented with other food products (popcorn and
eggs), and realized microwaves can cook foods quickly
At 1947, 1st commercial microwave oven produced
(called Radarange)

Mostly used by restaurants, railroad cars,

ocean liners and military

Improvement and refinements made ~

by 1967, 1st domestic microwave oven
produced

How the Oven Works

Electricity from the wall outlet travels through the power

cord and enters the microwave oven through a series of
fuse and safety protection circuits
These circuits include various fuses and thermal
protectors that are designed to deactivate the oven in the
event of an electrical short or if an overheating condition
occurs
When the oven door is closed, an electrical path is also
established through a series of safety interlock switches

 Sensing that all systems are set to go, the signal activates triac, producing
a voltage path to the high-voltage transformer.
The high-voltage transformer along with a special diode and capacitor
arrangement increases the typical household voltage from ~115 volts to ~3000
volts

The magnetron converts the high voltage in to the microwave frequency for
cooking
The microwave energy is transmitted into a waveguide
The waveguide feeds the energy to the stirrer blade and into the cooking area
When the door is opened, or the timer reaches zero, the microwave energy
stops.

Magnetron

Electrons from a hot filament would travel radially to

the outside ring if it were not for the magnetic field.
The magnetic force deflects them as shown and they
tend to sweep around the circle. In doing so, they
pump the natural frequency of the cavities. The
currents around the resonant cavities cause them to
radiate electromagnetic energy at that resonant
frequency.

How Foods Get Cooked

The microwaves that penetrate the food have an electric field

that oscillates 2.45 billion times a second, a frequency that is
well absorbed by polar liquid molecules such as water, sugars,
fats and other food molecules.
Water interacts with the microwave:

flipping its orientation back and forth very rapidly

bumping into one another and producing heat, cooking the food.

Glass, paper, ceramic, or plastic containers are used in

microwave cooking because the microwaves pass through
them
Metal reflects microwaves

Unsafe to have metal pans/aluminum foil in oven, may damage oven

Health Hazards

It is known that microwave radiation can heat body tissue the

same way it heats food.
Exposure to high levels of microwaves can cause a painful
burn

Microwave oven used low level of microwaves, within the

region of non-ionizing radiation
Still uncertain in the effects of humans from long term
exposure to low level of microwaves

Ex. the lens of the eye ~ exposure to high levels of microwaves can
cause cataracts.

Still experimenting

Best to stay a way (an arms length) in reducing exposure to

microwaves

References
1.

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

http://www.dal.ca/~ehs/files/microwave.safety.pdf

2.

Homepage of Central Valley Christian School.

http://home.cvc.org/microwaves/

3.

Nave, C. R. Hyperphysics. Georgia State University.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/waves/magnetron.html

4.

Microtech: The Complete Microwave Oven Repair and Information

Network.
http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/index.html

5.

Wright, Michael and Mukul Patel. Scientific American: How Things

Work Today. New York: Marshall Editions Development Ltd., 2000.