Microwave Vs Kettle

[TUR80]

thanks for that and teh website
will prove quite usefull

[MrMxyzptlk]

thanks for that and teh website
will prove quite usefull

If you use info from the site be sure to give them credit for it in a footnote or bibliography....

[TUR80]

absoloutly

i would say MrMxy but the teacher would probably look at me funny

[BFM_Crimson]

Use a kettle. Microwaves have a tendency to heat water past boiling point if you aren't looking, whereas any sensible modern kettle has an auto-off function when the water is about to boil.

Yes, indeed, this can happen.

Many people are scalded badly every year by water microwaved to super-hot temps in a mug.  Plunging in anything such as a spoon to disturb the quiescence of the liquid can cause a "flash-to-vapor" that is basically like being next to a bursting high-pressure steam pipe.

If you microwave water to heat it, ALWAYS place something in it that breaks the surface tension - such as a wooden or plastic spoon - NOTHING METALLIC!  - standing in the mug/cup/bowl.
color]

Yes, this almost happened to me, but with milk!
I wanted to warm some milk up, so I put it in a mug and put it in the microwave for 60 seconds. While in there, I thought I heard some popping noises.

Anyway, I pulled it out (it was quite hot), and it looked like it had become frothy. I wasn't game to drink it, so I got a thermometer and dipped it in (just the bulb)
SNAP, the bulb snapped clean off

Needless to say I didn't drink the milk, avoiding both a scolding and mercury poisoning

[BFM_Fénix]

You could also explain a little how both devices heat the water. For example: microwaves use electromagnetic radiation at ___GHz (can't remember the frequency  ) and it resonates with the chemical bonds O-H, mainly found in water, etc...

thanks for that and teh website
will prove quite usefull

If you use info from the site be sure to give them credit for it in a footnote or bibliography....

Obviously, it would be plagiarism otherwise ( ).

[jim360]

In fact how the water is heated should have little effect on the energy used. In Electromagnetic waves the energy can go all over the place, but if you have one litre of water and heat it to boiling point, that takes a fixed amount of energy. Probably the reason for differences in figures are because the rest of the energy goes somewhere else. I'd say that a microwave is actually more efficient in a way. But a kettle is easier to use and can be left unattended.

As an aside, I heat tea up in the microwave sometimes - the tea leaves probably help to stop the superheating effect.

[BFM_Kiwi]

And it depends on the amount of water heated.  A cup in a microwave has the exact amount you need.  A kettle or teapot generally has more than you will use (mine has a minimum level you have to fill it to) so you are wasting the heating up of the extra water. 

[RadZakpak]

Well I put some chocolate in the shiny wrapper and put it in a microwave....it made electricity and fire!

Microwave cause it makes explodedy!

[Anubis]

I prefer Kettle.

I prefer boiled water than warmed water.

[BFM_Kiwi]

Do you know that you can measure the speed of light using a chocolate bar and your microwave?

Put the chololate bar in the microwave. Don't use one of the rotating thingies. Melt the chocolcate for 10-20 seconds.  You will notice it will melt in a couple of spots first  These correspond to the wavelength of the radiation.  Look at the specs for your microwave to get what frequency it operates.  Apparently 2.45 GHz is common.

Measure the distance between the melted spots on the chocolate and multiply by 2 (each spot it half  the wavelength).  Then multiply that by the frequency of the microwave, and you should come very close to the speed of light.

[TUR80]

my mind is going to explode

[BFM_Fénix]

Do you know that you can measure the speed of light using a chocolate bar and your microwave?

Put the chololate bar in the microwave. Don't use one of the rotating thingies. Melt the chocolcate for 10-20 seconds.  You will notice it will melt in a couple of spots first  These correspond to the wavelength of the radiation.  Look at the specs for your microwave to get what frequency it operates.  Apparently 2.45 GHz is common.

Measure the distance between the melted spots on the chocolate and multiply by 2 (each spot it half  the wavelength).  Then multiply that by the frequency of the microwave, and you should come very close to the speed of light.

this is quite very simple and I believe safe if you at least practice it once with supervision, so feel free to use it for any primary school science fair

my mind is going to explode

As long as you don't put your head in the microwave you should be fine.

That's why I said to explain it plainly:

Microwaves use electromagnetic radiation, which can be understood as two waves (one for magnetic, the other electric) which are tangent to each other and exist almost everywhere (normally used in telecommunications, characterization of matter, health systems). In this particular case, the electromagnetic radiation has a certain frequency (depending on the microwave I believe it says the frequency in the back label) which resounds with the energy frequency (basal frequency??? sorry I don't know how to translate it and I am lazy enough not to search it ) of certain chemical bonds (O-H, typically water) and causes a vibration of these bonds. The vibration generates an increased state of energy of the chemical bonds, which is subsequently released from the molecules of water in the form of heat blah blah blah.

There you go, a wiki-worthy introduction and not so difficult to understand, besides you will get at least one  

[TUR80]

my mind is going to explode

As long as you don't put your head in the microwave you should be fine.

That's why I said to explain it plainly:

Microwaves use electromagnetic radiation, which can be understood as two waves (one for magnetic, the other electric) which are tangent to each other and exist almost everywhere (normally used in telecommunications, characterization of matter, health systems). In this particular case, the electromagnetic radiation has a certain frequency (depending on the microwave I believe it says the frequency in the back label) which resounds with the energy frequency (basal frequency??? sorry I don't know how to translate it and I am lazy enough not to search it ) of certain chemical bonds (O-H, typically water) and causes a vibration of these bonds. The vibration generates an increased state of energy of the chemical bonds, which is subsequently released from the molecules of water in the form of heat blah blah blah.

There you go, a wiki-worthy introduction and not so difficult to understand, besides you will get at least one 

rofl
(like the new colour)

[BFM_Fénix]

 

I really hope you can get a starting point out of this and not more questions

I believe this is more like an investigation without explaining in full detail the physical phenomena?

[TUR80]

duz anyone know why the microwave spins