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How does a microwave heat food?

🔬 Science · updated 4 weeks ago · 2 min read
How does a microwave heat food?
Short answerMicrowaves excite water molecules in food, and that motion turns into heat.

A microwave sends out electromagnetic waves that make water molecules in food move rapidly. That movement spreads through the food and turns into heat.

Because microwave energy does not heat every part evenly at once, dense or uneven food can come out with hot and cool spots. That is why stirring and standing time matter.

So the appliance is not “heating” in the same way an oven does. It is agitating molecules until the food warms up from the inside out.

Sources

FDA - Microwave ovens

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