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Humans

What is really going on when we microwave our food?

Sam Wong digs into the science of microwaves, dispelling some common myths – and makes a tasty mug cake in just a few minutes

By Sam Wong

19 April 2023

mugcake is microwaved. Homemade cupcake in a mug is on a plate. Chocolate brownie mug cake. Easy cooking concept, microwave baking. muffin chocolate. High quality photo; Shutterstock ID 2030585198; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Nataliia Suietska/shutterstock

I LIVED happily without a microwave for 10 years, but, since acquiring one when I moved house last year, I have come to appreciate what a useful gadget it is. I have also realised that much of what I thought I knew about microwaves wasn’t quite right.

Microwave ovens work using electromagnetic waves, also called microwaves, with wavelengths of 12 centimetres or so – much longer than visible light, but shorter than most radio waves. Microwaves create an oscillating magnetic field that puts certain molecules in a spin: namely, molecules like water, which have positively and negatively charged portions. Anything …

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