Was just warming some salt water in a microwave and noticed a small flash of light on the side of the plastic container. Maybe it was from some salt water on the side of the container. I'm not into that sort of experimentation and removed it immediately. Just wondering whether that makes sense and maybe what causes it if anyone knows.
Mainly curious. Thanks.
Ahh, that'll be a bit of foil trapped under your fingernail that fell out and got itself attached to the bowl.
Happens all the time.
DNA
Not sure on the answer... but here's another interesting experience from my college days. A buddy of mine showed me how he would cut grapes in half (but leave them connected in the middle) and then microwave them and there would develop arcs and a little mini-fireworks.
As best I could figure, there was a voltage differential between the halves of the grape and eventually the current burned up the skin connecting the grapes or else just arced between them (the skin serving as an insulator so it had to arc thru the air). Anyone else have thoughts?
Cheers Todd
Grape balls of fire, isn't that wasteful?
-- John
I liked the old Hostess Ho Ho packages of aluminum. Nice display!
Most premade foods have tons of salt. I find the new heater containers interesting. I guess there is a platter that heats up in addition to the direct flow to the food. This is nice for helping to keep the food drier, allthough I most always put the food in the Turbo Oven to dry it out after microwaving.
My new Panasonic microwave is about the most powerfull I have used. Really fast. Funny thing, the commercial version is rated for less power but more amps. I guess its the rating system.
greg
I guess I have been using the microwave longer than most, ever since I put that $400 heathkit one together in 1972.
greg
" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:
Perhaps the more narrow section of grape heated faster than the thicker areas,and became carbonized and conductive.
How do RF microwaves induce voltage in non-metallic veggies?
-- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net
I don't know how enough voltage could be induced in conductive liquid to create sparks, but I did see sparks when I put a ceramic cup with a thin gold rim in the microwave to heat coffee. I think it had a few discontinuities where the sparks appeared, or perhaps the current in the ring caused the open spots. I shut it down after a few seconds.
What I would like to know is how some microwaves can work with a full metal wire shelf. I think it also functions as a convection oven, but I put a cup of coffee on the shelf and heated it in a minute or so without the shelf getting noticeably hot. It looks like a regular oven shelf with apparently welded wires forming a grid, but it is possible that the orthagonal elements may be electrically insulated so that no loops are formed.
There was a cool website on what NOT to do with a microwave, but the author does them anyway. I think most spectacular are steel wool, neon lamps, and fluorescent tubes, but some vegetables eventually contort into odd shapes and then fly around as steam is released from their insides.
Paul
Since all elements are solidly connected there is no voltage difference and the microwaves are reflected from the metal surface - like the interior of the microwave. Other models have had metal turntables or an inconel heating element.
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Speaking of college days, a favorite trick in freshman physics lectures is to take a pickle, poke conductors into the ends and hook it up directly to power from a wall outlet.
Cheers! Rich
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