Greenbeans causing big sparks in the microwave WTF!

[DeadByDawn]

Ok, so I was nuking some greenbeans on a plate to eat for lunch. I put them in for only about 20 seconds when I started noticing big sparks coming off of them with a loud *bzzzt* sound. Obviously I stopped the microwave. I thought maybe there was a piece of metal in one of the beans so I threw them out and put some more on the plate, it kept sparking.

Then I put those beans on another plate thinking it could be the plate, but nope, they still sparked. I disected the beans and could find no metal. I nuked some peas later on that day and they didn't spark.

WTF is going on ATOT physicists?

Also I checked outside and there are no top hats or cloned greenbeans in my yard.

 

[JohnCU]

some kind of metal in the soil they were grown in? cadmium?

 

[Brainonska511]

According to a preliminary google search, it's because certain vegetables like green beans, carrots, and green peppers have a higher mineral concentration compared with other vegetables and can cause the arcing effect you see in the microwave.

Now to put a carrot in the microwave....

Edit:
Didn't see any sparking with baby carrots, but after 30 seconds, they did explosively split from the middle.

 

[nickbits]

http://www.ky3.com/home/video/17261839.html

Apparently "due to the presence of naturally occurring minerals in the vegetables . . . like magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium."

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: nickbits
http://www.ky3.com/home/video/17261839.html

Apparently "due to the presence of naturally occurring minerals in the vegetables . . . like magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium."

Or in the case of Chinese grown green beans, lead.

 

[sandorski]

Product of China?

doh, too late...didn't even get a Time Warp!:|

 

[MikeMike]

for carrots, or grapes, cut them in half first... thats the only way to make them spark.

 

[ScottyB]

The best way to see this is to break apart a bunch of baby carrots and then place them on a plate with the ends a couple centimeters apart. Then watch the sparks fly!

 

[Squisher]

There have a bunch of reports on the local News channel talking about the sparking of the ham in Lunchables when you microwave them. There are a number of youtube videos too.

 

[vi edit]

The only ones I've seen do this were from a steam pack after reheating them.

The first time around they were sealed up in the steam bag. I took the leftovers the next day and reheated them....or attempted. Sparks...smoke...charred green beans...oh my!

 

[Jeff7]

Youtube: Grapes + microwave.

As I understand it, it has nothing to do with the metals present in the vegetables (they'd be there in very minute quantities), but due to some kind of dipole thingy related to the water content.

Google for grape + dipole + microwave.

Text


It looks almost like the water-laden stuff acts as a lens of some sort for the microwave radiation.


I once got some arcing with small chunks of ham in the microwave.

 

[seemingly random]

Why would one put a grape in a microwave (except for grins and giggles)?

I have put just about every kind of vegetable and meat in a microwave and have yet to see sparks. I use a small, 'low-power' microwave. In fact the only time I've seen sparks is with the first microwave I tried. It was convection also and I forgot to remove the metal rack. Some nice fireworks ensued.

 

[cthulhu]

Interesting. I can't say I've ever seen that before.

 

[eplebnista]

Originally posted by: cthulhu
Interesting. I can't say I've ever seen that before.

me either