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News India Live, Digital Desk: To make kitchen work easier, we often resort to aluminum foil. Be it wrapping parathas or roasting chicken and vegetables in the oven, foil is our biggest helper. But have you ever noticed that the same foil sheet, which is completely safe in a normal gas oven or convection oven, starts emitting sparks like ‘lightning’ as soon as it is kept in the microwave?
Many times people do this unknowingly and within no time flames start rising from the microwave. But the question is, why does this happen? Is this foil bad? Or is the microwave technology itself different? Let us understand this in very simple language.
How does your oven work?
The conventional ovens we have in our homes work on the principle of ‘conduction’ i.e. heating the air. Heating elements are installed here which heat the air and the same heat gradually reaches the food. Since the foil is metal, it heats up just a little and keeps your food from burning. Everything is fine till now.
But the microwave world is completely different
Its meaning is hidden within the name microwave itself – it works on ‘microwaves’ i.e. electromagnetic waves. These waves directly vibrate the water molecules present inside the food, which produces heat.
Now the game begins with metal. The property of metal is to pass electricity. When these powerful waves hit a thin metal sheet like aluminum foil, the ‘electrons’ present on the surface of the foil start moving around very fast.
Why do sparks come out?
Since aluminum foil is very thin, it cannot withstand much current. These electrons accumulate especially where the foil has creases or has sharp corners. When the energy gets too high, lightning ‘jumps’ (arcing) through the air and we see blue or white sparks. If this spark hits the walls of a food container or microwave, it can cause huge damage or cause fire.
Conclusion and Suggestions
The simple thing is that in the oven the foil sheet acts as a shield for you, but in the microwave it is no less than an explosive.
If you have to heat food in the microwave, always use microwave-safe glass or ceramic utensils. If there is a slight golden or silver looking ‘metal coating’ on any vessel, then do not make the mistake of keeping it inside the microwave. To protect yourself and your appliances, keep this small but important thing in science in mind.
