Why does microwaving continuously for sixty seconds heat food so much more effectively than two consecutive thirty-second cycles?

Question

I noticed that my tea tends to be much hotter when I microwave it continuously than when I take it out half-way through. This result seems to be consistent regardless of material. Even if I open the microwave just for a quick second, whatever I’m microwaving needs significantly more time to heat. Why is this?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Reminder that **top-level comments MUST be an explanation, not a random comment**. Yes, OP microwaves tea. You may react to this fact in response to another comment, but NOT as a reply to this post.