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How long ‘til dinner? How moisture content affects heating time in microwaves

CSEF · 2023 Physics & Astronomy Second Award

Goodman Amiel · 8

Overview

Microwave ovens deliver heat to food via electromagnetic radiation. The radiation is absorbed by polar molecules like water. Different factors absorb how the energy is absorbed. In this project, I am specifically exploring how different moisture levels of food affect the amount of radiation absorbed, because on a daily basis I cook meals with varying levels of water content in my microwave and I often wonder how long I should put it in there. What I learned is that increasing moisture content increases the percentage of energy absorbed. I did this by creating an apparatus with a fixed volume (sponges) that I could saturate to different levels. Then I heated the apparatus and compared absorbed energy.

Source coverage

This record comes from a published award list, not a complete project archive. Its abstract comes from CSEF's public project showcase as archived by the Internet Archive before judging (https://web.archive.org/web/20230401224130/https://ca-csef.zfairs.com/showcase/ShowcaseInfo?f=838e60b7-ea75-46e8-865c-fde4864244b3); the version presented may differ.

Awards (1)

Competition history

  • CSEF 2023 Physics & Astronomy · Entry J1726

Resources

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