Why Can't I Put Metal in the Microwave?
We know we're not supposed to put metal in the microwave, but why? We don't microwave silverware but what about Hot Pocket wrappers? They have metal on the inside. How does that work? Let Michael...
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You've probably been told, or maybe learned the hard way after heating a burrito wrapped in tinfoil, that you shouldn't put metal in the microwave. But your curious scientific mind might have noticed that your microwave is…made of metal. And there's even that metal mesh covering the window. And isn't that Hot Pocket pouch lined with aluminum? So what the heck? When do microwaves and metal play along fine, and when do they end up burning down your house? Well, the heart of your microwave oven is a magnetron, a high-powered vacuum tube that generates microwaves. The magnetron sends microwaves, which, like radio waves, are a type of electromagnetic radiation, into that little box where your food rotates around. And the little window on th...
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You've probably been told, or maybe learned the hard way after heating a burrito wrapped in tinfoil, that you shouldn't put metal in the microwave. But your curious scientific mind might have noticed that your microwave is…made of metal. And there's even that metal mesh covering the window. And isn't that Hot Pocket pouch lined with aluminum? So what the heck? When do microwaves and metal play along fine, and when do they end up burning down your house? Well, the heart of your microwave oven is a magnetron, a high-powered vacuum tube that generates microwaves. The magnetron sends microwaves, which, like radio waves, are a type of electromagnetic radiation, into that little box where your food rotates around. And the little window on th...
