Why a borosilicate glass thin-walled beaker of predetermined dimensions?
Borosilicate glass is reasonably transparent to microwave energy. It enables power to be determined from temperature rise in the water, and is unaffected by any appreciable power loss attributed to the container material. The beaker dimensions have been determined to be compatible with the dimensions of the microwave wavelength, so as to provide an acceptable and suitable method for sales comparison purposes. If the test is carried out with a different container material, different dimensions, or a different volume of water load, it will produce a different output power result. Why a regulated UK electrical supply voltage? The performances of all microwave ovens are significantly affected by electrical supply voltage variations. Generally, low voltage means lower power relative to the wattage declaration, whereas high voltage usually means higher power determination. See MAFF Science Series Number 11. Until 1996, the UK electrical supply voltage was declared at 240 volts ±6% (225 to 25
