Yeah, I agree, it’s something like that. Ive never really gotten a concrete answer from anyone for why they won’t use a microwave to heat water. The best I’ve gotten is “that’s not a what a microwave is for”.
It’s inefficient if you’re heating up multiple cups. A kettle of water takes about the same time as microwaving one cup. Americans often make one cup of tea, while Brits expect everyone within several blocks to pop in for a cuppa.
Yes exactly. They are only for heating up molecules that have a dipole, like hydrogen chloride, ozone, ammonia, and some other probably unimportant ones.
Well this comment sent me on a bit of a deep dive. My statistical thermodynamics prof told us that microwaves only affect waters dipole, but it seems like they affect all polar molecules, like you say. Maybe it’s a semantics/language thing because I can imagine we could pick the microwave size to match its dipole. It’s been too long. I’d need to crack open some scary textbooks again. Hmm
Ah… my physics course was very short, and tried to cover a bit of everything, because I did Computer Science. So I really don’t know the details. I just assumed it would apply to any polar molecule to some degree and looked up random ones for that joke.
I do know that Microwaves use a frequency around 2.4 GHz - 2.5 GHz, they can disturb Wifi if they leak. But I assume that is just because the unlicensed ISM band is there, and hasn’t got anything to do with water specifically.
I think they believe we’re heating the cup with the tea bag in it or smth, instead of just heating water. Idk. It’s lunacy.
Yeah, I agree, it’s something like that. Ive never really gotten a concrete answer from anyone for why they won’t use a microwave to heat water. The best I’ve gotten is “that’s not a what a microwave is for”.
It’s inefficient if you’re heating up multiple cups. A kettle of water takes about the same time as microwaving one cup. Americans often make one cup of tea, while Brits expect everyone within several blocks to pop in for a cuppa.
That makes sense, especially in a place with 240V
Yeah, microwaves aren’t for making water hot, they’re for making food hot AND DON’T TRY TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY WORK MAGIC MAN!
The only thing you need to know is: don’t put metal in the science oven!
Why? My last one came with a metal rack.
If metal rack can go in science oven, metal must not be a big issue.
This is the only reason.
smooth good. pointy bad.
Yes exactly. They are only for heating up molecules that have a dipole, like hydrogen chloride, ozone, ammonia, and some other probably unimportant ones.
Well this comment sent me on a bit of a deep dive. My statistical thermodynamics prof told us that microwaves only affect waters dipole, but it seems like they affect all polar molecules, like you say. Maybe it’s a semantics/language thing because I can imagine we could pick the microwave size to match its dipole. It’s been too long. I’d need to crack open some scary textbooks again. Hmm
Ah… my physics course was very short, and tried to cover a bit of everything, because I did Computer Science. So I really don’t know the details. I just assumed it would apply to any polar molecule to some degree and looked up random ones for that joke.
I do know that Microwaves use a frequency around 2.4 GHz - 2.5 GHz, they can disturb Wifi if they leak. But I assume that is just because the unlicensed ISM band is there, and hasn’t got anything to do with water specifically.