metal revolving plate in microwave

[LtPage1]

My microwave's rotating plate that you put the food on is made of metal- how does this work? Is it some kind of special coating?

 

[dullard]

Um, the microwave oven itself is made of metal. Forget the notion that metal in a microwave is bad.

If you put food/water in the microwave oven that can absorb the microwaves, you are fine. If you don't do that, you can cause sparks/damage with or without your metal turntable.

 

[Unheard]

My guess is wormholes.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: dullard
Um, the microwave oven itself is made of metal. Forget the notion that metal in a microwave is bad.

pwn3d

 

[calvinbiss]

only metal with sharp tips or a sharp edge will cause a spark, think of a fork, or some crumpled aluminum

 

[Midlander]

Metal will spark if it is isolated from other metal. Thus, metal decoration on plates will spark, but a metal bowl won't.

 

[LtPage1]

Weird how I didn't know that. Is this common knowledge?

 

[drinkmorejava]

Because in order for it to spark there has to be a potential difference (voltage) between two parts of the metal, because it is a connected ring it will have a constant voltage throughout the whole structure. If the amount of energy is the same then it has no where to arc off to reach equilibrium, I know things like Campbell?s soup in hand have a metal ring at the top. Something like a tinfoil ball though, despite it being interconnected, it will be exposed to greatly varying amounts of microwave energy because of it?s shape which, in turn, allows different areas to be charge differently. Even something like a grape can arc. Try cutting one nearly in half but leaving a small amount of skin still connecting. The two sides will build up energy like capacitors and once the dielectric breakdown voltage of the grape skin is reached, you?ll get a nice spark.