2023-08-12 20:00:00
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Heat, sterilize, defrost, soften… There is no doubt that the microwave is one of those multipurpose appliances that gets you out of different predicaments on a daily basis in a matter of minutes. It could be said that, to this day, it has become one of the electrical objects indispensable in most homes.
However, the microwave represents an example of one of those discoveries that happen accidentally, known in science under the term of serendipia. In addition, since its launch on the market, it became a complete success, only darkened by a series of false beliefs that labeled it, on multiple occasions, as a dangerous element.
A FORTUITOUS DISCOVERY
On October 8, 1945, the American scientist Percy LeBaron Spencer He boasted of having a patent for a new invention: the microwave. Two years later, in 1947, he brought it to the market as a hulk of 2 meters high and that it cost, nothing more and nothing less, than around 3,000 dollars. However, due to that high price, the first units were sold only for food supply, in hospitals or military camps.
Spencer was a self-taught man who worked at Raytheon Manufacturing Company, a small company that was dedicated to military electronics. Thus, after the start of the Second World Warwhen the british invented the magnetronthe base device for radars, the company specialized in it, trying to simplify its manufacture and improve its operation.
One day in 1945, Percy Spencer was walking through a company laboratory when he passed a lit magnetron and realized that the peanut candy bar that they had in their pocket had softened, turning into a sticky paste. As it was not hot and the event had occurred very suddenly, the scientist quickly understood that it had all been the effect of the magnetron.
Interested in the event, Spencer asked to be brought various foods to experiment with and be able to speculate what was happening. In this way, he placed a bag of popcorn next to the magnetron, which began to explode throughout the laboratory, a raw egg that exploded when cooked near the device, as well as a kettle whose water began to boil. The American scientist had just discovered the element based on which he would create the first microwave months later.
THE MAGNETRON: THE HEART OF THE MICROWAVE
That gadget Spencer works with, the magnetron, is really the working foundation of the microwave. It is a device that manages to transform electrical energy into electromagnetic energy in the form of waves of small length: microwaves. Its origin was mainly military, as it intended to feed the radars by means of a radioelectric source of several hundred watts.
When you turn on the microwave, an electrical circuit is created that provides current to the magnetron, which transforms that electricity into very small, high-power waves. These waves are what are emitted and penetrate in food, interacting with and agitating its water molecules, which generates heat and increases the temperature of the food.
However, there are other elements that guarantee the proper functioning of the microwave and one of them is the fan. And it is that, without it, the waves would go in a single direction, producing heating in a small part of the food. Thanks to him, it is possible that they are distributed more evenly, reaching the completeness of the food. However, as it is possible for the waves to bounce off the walls of the appliance, reducing the area of impact, it is common for it to be fitted with a Spinning plate to ensure even heating.
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THE MOST COMMON MYTHS
Despite being an appliance with a long history, it continues to be one of the most suspicious in terms of safety due, in part, to the large number of myths that surround it. The oldest of them, and perhaps less consistent today, is that the composition of food is altered with its use, which is false, since microwaves only make the molecules vibrate more strongly to increase their energy and temperature, but in no case do they modify or alter them.
Furthermore, it is very common to think that looking closely at the device can be harmful for health, because the waves can have a good impact on us. Well, this thought is false, as long as the device is in good condition. If the microwave complies with all safety measures, it will be impossible for the waves to pass through the walls and the door grill, so it will be important to ensure that the status of our device is analyzed frequently.
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There is even a rumor that the mobile phone is a perfect ally to check whether or not there are leaks in the microwave. Popular voices say that if you put a mobile phone inside, close the door, make a call and the phone rings, it means that the microwave is not completely insulating and that it is not safe. However, this is false: cell phones don’t use the same frequency as microwaves, so the insulators of one don’t work for the other. Yes, it may be that, in some cases, microwave protection also prevents telephone emissions from passing through your screen, but it has nothing to do with the security of the device.
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