Microwave+Oven

=Microwave Oven=

**Purpose**
//A microwave oven// is a mini oven. It is used to cook food quickly and efficiently. It uses microwave radiation to heat water molecules in the food, causing the food to heat up and cook. A microwave oven can cook food in a matter of minutes, whereas a regular oven takes a longer time to cook food. For example, if someone wanted to cook chicken they could use a microwave oven to cook it for about two to three minutes. If someone used a regular oven to cook chicken it would take about twenty minutes to half an hour.

Energy
//The Microwave Oven// plugs into an outlet. It receives electricity from the power company. Once the electricity reaches the microwave, the energy is transformed into microwave radiation. Then the radiation heats the water molecules in the food in the cooking chamber, causing the food to heat up. However, the radiation does not heat up the air molecules in the cooking chamber.

Controls
//The Microwave Oven// includes a control panel next to the cooking chamber. The control panel includes a timer, a time control knob and a power control knob. Each knob contains buttons on the control panel. The power control knob contains a small gear inside the panel that triggers a knob. The knob moves a rack linearly which triggers the button to control the power. The timer and time control knob also have small gears. Each small gear follows the same pattern as the small gear for the power control knob. [|Source]

Materials
//A Cavity Magnetron// is the most important material part to a microwave oven. The microwave receives high-voltage energy. Then it transforms the electrical energy into microwave radiation. A Cavity Magnetron is a vacuum tube that transforms electrical energy into microwaves. Metal is also used for the exterior of the microwave oven. Glass is also used for the exterior and the interior plate. A vacuum tube is used to amplify, switch, and creates an electrical signal by controlling the movement of electrons in a low pressure space. The way that the vacuum tube works is that there needs to be no air inside the tube. That is the number one rule of the vacuum tube. NO AIR! Then the electrons need to get to one electrode to the other. But how can the electrons travel through such a large amount amount of space? This is achieved when heat affects the electrons. The heat makes the electrons bounce all over the place, and makes them move very quickly. The electrons need to get out of that hot environment, so they go over to the other electrode. This is how an vacuum tube works. [|Source] [|Source]

Science
//The microwave oven// uses microwave radiation to cook the food. The Cavity Magnetron consists of a magnetic field. The Cavity Magnetron transforms the energy into microwave radiation. The microwave radiation then heats the water molecules in the food. The molecules rise in the air. The molecules have a lot of room to move around inside the cooking chamber. The molecules will eventually run into each other. When they run into each other, friction is created. The friction then causes heat, which causes the food to cook. So, the over-all science behind the microwave oven is the microwave radiation.

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Design
//A typical microwave oven// is a metal box. On the front side is a glass window, allowing people to watch their food as it cooks. Inside the box is a spinning, glass plate. This glass plate spins the food as it cooks, allowing all the sides of the food to cook. On the right side on the outside of the oven, there is a control pad. The control pad contains buttons for power, time, and sometimes for specialized foods. These buttons mostly contain the ability to apply the time needed to cook the food. On the front side of the box next to the control pad there is a door on a hinge allowing a person to put their food in the cooking chamber.

Evolution
Manufacturers have been improving the microwave oven in recent years. One new product is the convection microwave. The convection microwave allows food to cook quickly and get crisp. It is a combination of a microwave and a convection oven. There are still some downsides to convection microwaves. They cost a lot more than the microwave oven, and there is smoke and burning odors. Also, instead of being able to cook frozen foods, the convection microwave is usually only used for cooking meals that are already prepared. [|Source]

Competitors
Oven

Partners
Infrawave Oven

Siblings
Oven Infrawave Oven