The microwave can control time AND power levels, just like controlling cooking time AND the amount of flame under the pot on a stove top. For a soup on the stove for example you may want to have the full flame in order to bring the water to boiling, but then minimum flame to just keep it simmering and/or not burn the bottom layers.
With microwaves the heat is applied to the water IN the food, and a potato vs. a pizza have different distributions of where the water is. So the microwave may heat the topping of the pizza and then reduce power to let that heat penetrate into the dough, and may on and off the power levels to heat the (outer) potato layers and let that heat penetrate inward.
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