Facts about Microwave Ovens

1. 06

   Microwave ovens heat food unevenly because microwaves penetrate only about 1.5 inches into most foods, requiring the interior to be cooked by heat conduction from the outer layers.

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2. 05

   Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 750 pounds, early Radarange microwave ovens required 208-volt three-phase electrical connections unavailable in most homes until the 1970s.

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3. 04

   Modern microwave ovens typically operate at 65 percent efficiency, converting electrical energy into microwave radiation more effectively than conventional ovens convert energy into heat.

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4. 03

   Raytheon sold the first commercial microwave oven, the Radarange, in 1947 for approximately 5000 dollars and weighed 750 pounds.

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5. 02

   The 2.45 gigahertz frequency used by commercial microwave ovens was chosen because it is absorbed efficiently by water molecules while remaining safely contained by metal walls.

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6. 01

   Percy Spencer discovered microwave cooking in 1945 when a chocolate bar melted in his pocket near an active magnetron at Raytheon.

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