In five pages this paper discusses the important 20th century invention of the microwave oven and considers the technology which made it possible. Five sources are cited in the bibliography.
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find one in almost every home. Since the invention of the microwave, it has had a significant impact on the food industry and the method in which people prepare
their food. Microwaves are popular because they are extremely efficient in their use of radio waves to heat food, and therefore, allowing food to be prepared in a quick
and convenient fashion. A microwave oven uses microwaves to heat food. Microwaves, a form of electromagnetic radiation similar to sunlight (Gallawa, 2002), are radio waves and at a
frequency of roughly 2500 megahertz they are absorbed by water, fat, and sugars causing food to be heated in a convenient and timely manner. The ability to harness electrical
and microwave energy has revolutionized food preparation and has made "microwaveable" food products commonplace in American homes. As fascinating as the possibilities which microwaves have opened in the home,
however, the technology is even more fascinating. Interestingly, microwave technology came about as a by-product of radar research (Gallawa, 2002). Around 1946
a device called the magnetron tube, a type of vacuum tube which electronically produces high frequency microwave oscillations (Cone, 1991), was found by Dr. Percy Spencer of the Raytheon Corporation
to have the capability of melting certain objects (UCSB, 2002). When Dr. Spencer tried the device on popcorn kernels he was enlightened to find that the kernels popped (UCSB,
2002). Soon he noticed the same effect with an egg (Gallawa, 2002). Dr. Spencer tentatively attributed the phenomena to low-density microwave energy (UCSB, 2002).
The next step confronting Dr. Spencer was a method to contain the energy and thus create a higher density electromagnetic field (UCSB, 2002). Containment