Recently my wife expressed concerns that our microwave is unsafe and I’m too ignorant to know why she is wrong. Please explain why microwaves are safe to use.
In: Technology
Microwaves deliver heat in the form of electromagnetic waves. The box that forms the microwave while in operation will contain the waves. There are safety interlocks to prevent the microwave from operating if the door isn’t closed.
Yes, the wave is a form of radiation — but the radiation turns off when the microwave is not running.
The radiation cooks the food, like a flame on a stove cooks the food. As long as you don’t go out of your way to put your body in the radiation (like you wouldn’t stick your hand in a flame), you’re fine. The radiation from a microwave is non-ionizing radiation, which is safe (as long as you don’t expose yourself to so much of it that you get burned).
Emitting non-ionizing radiation when the device is turned on is quite different from an item being radioactive. Actual radioactive material will constantly emit ionizing radiation – and that’s where the danger is. No such things are used in microwaves.
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