Physics of a microwave oven
Figure 1 depicts a typical microwave oven (many
details can be found in [1–3]). Microwaves
are generated in a magnetron which feeds via a
waveguide into the cooking chamber. This cuboid
chamber has metallicwalls and so acts as a Faraday
cage. The front door, made of glass, and the light
bulb cavity are both covered by metal grids. The
holes in the grids are small compared with the
wavelength of the microwaves, hence the grids act
just like metal plates.
Most microwaves cook the food on a rotating
turntable in this chamber, but some designs include
a rotating reflector, acting as a stirrer. Expensive
models may include thermometers, additional