How do microwave ovens work? And why does metal break them?
Good question! Microwave ovens work through a process called dielectric heating. What happens is that water molecules in the food you’re cooking absorb the microwaves emitted by a device called a magnetron. This causes the water molecules to vibrate at very high frequencies and it is this movement that causes the heating. Metal objects placed in the oven attract the microwaves and can cause them to heat up quite dramatically. It won’t necessarily break the oven, but it’s certainly not a good idea! This question has been tagged Physics.
