I've been in this infotainment corner of the internet for a while, and to me it's not really refreshing anymore. But I think it's a good thing that this enthusiasm is normalized :D
pretty sure it has a lot to do with the coating on the inside also, my mom had a old microwave that the coating started to come off in a corner and it was causing sparks lol
how is microwave a form of light? I think you mean microwaves are a form electromagnetic radiation as is light. The definition of light is electromagnetic radiation the is visible to the human eye.
I put tinfoil in the microwave once, 2 seconds of a mini lightning storm told me never to do that again. I think the burn marks are still in the back of my parents microwave.
My dumbass put an entire pot with ramen in it in the microwave when I was like 6 or 7. Almost blew us all up, good thing my mom caught it right away. 💀
@@ZeroshikiMy little sister did something similar at that age too. She was trying to make a baked/jacket potato but got the methods confused. Instead of putting the foil wrapped spud in the oven, she tried to nuke it, and us. It caught fire and destroyed the inside of the microwave. Luckily our dad saw the funny side of it and didn't get mad. 😂
I mean, I dont and wouldn't do it. But youd have to microwave metal intentionally for minutes on end before anything really happens. Its quite literally harmless to microwave metal for a few seconds.
I think another reason is the inside of the microwave is all electrically connected, but a random fork in it isn't. The EM wave can induce different potential on these two metal pieces. At microwave's voltage this creates arc, and you get lightning imbued fork and house fire
@@Penguuproduction I think they're talking about that tray thingy that u can put your plate onto so the plate is higher and closer to the grill (some microwaves have a grill function, spirals that heat up acting as one).
I was so confused when I bought my house with a built in microwave that had a metal rack in it. Everytime I microwaved there were little sparks near one of the corners of the rack everytime, so I took it out. Never tried the rack again, still don't trust it.
This is the issue with telling people "what" without telling them "why" Edit: For all the people in the comments who lack reading skills. The "what" in this case is: Metal in the microwave creates fires. The "why" is what Hank explains. Hope this helps.
@@howardlam6181 nobody remembers what they learned in class the minute the test for it is over. don't expect people to remember stuff years later that they never understood.
@@dovos8572then they won't remember after telling them why either. If they have no interest in learning it and keeping it in their brains, they will eventually forget anyway. In fact, if they wanted to learn, Google exists.
@@dovos8572just cause you don’t remember stuff from school doesn’t mean the rest of us 1. Don’t remember as well or 2. Didn’t continue to go to school to make what we learned into a career.
Sometimes getting the abridged version is ok. The normal person doesn't need to really know down to the detail why we don't put metal in microwaves. We just need to know that we shouldn't and maybe potential consequences.
I once accidentally left a fork on the side of a plate of some crap I wanted heated and immediately saw the Auroras appear. Don't put metal objects in your microwave people.
I did the same, a metal fork. It was more than 2 seconds but I could hear the sparks. In another instance I left the foil wrap on a burger and microwaved it. It started burning the paper side of the wrap. I don't know what happen if I leave those for a full minute, but I don't wanna find out in my own house.
I once accidentally left a bit of foil lid on the rim of a plastic, microwaveable meal. The amount of mini lightening flashes had me thinking Thor was about to superhero land in the middle of my kitchen.
I was once baking and a little absentminded, to be fair it was early in the morning and haven't drink my coffee yet. I wanted to lessen the amount of dirty dishes to be washed, so I put the whole MIXING BOWL (ofc, it was made of metal) in there to melt the butter. I KNEW metal inside the microwave was dangerous but didn't know the exact reason why, and my brain decided to forget about that information that morning. Unsurprisingly, not even 5 secs in and I saw sparks inside lmao. I was terrified and even unplugged the microwave before getting it out. My adrenaline was definitely more effective than caffeine in waking me up that day.
@@ioweutube2 it's an interesting turn of phrase and it's pleasing to the ear, but I never want to hear it said as a command by someone who looks bond villainy
More specifically, the main reason people are told not to put metal in the microwave is because *certain shapes* of metal can cause problems when subjected to microwave frequencies (in particular, many shapes with sharp edges or corners, and pieces which are a size which is around the same size as the wavelength of the microwaves). If *those particular shapes* of metal are put in a microwave, they can become very hot, or produce electrical arcs, etc, which can lead to bad things. The metal which is built into your microwave has been very carefully designed and tested to make sure that it is not the kind of shape/size which will cause problems, but if you just put some random metal thing in there, you really have no idea whether it will be a problem or not. It could be fine, or it could be bad, so the general advice is just "don't do that". There are actually some types of metal which are intended to be put in microwaves, though, such as metallized foils used in some types of microwave food packaging. They have also been specially designed and tested to produce a particular effect (usually getting hot (but not too hot), etc), and there is actually a lot of science that goes into designing that kind of thing.
A lot of misunderstandings of how things work is born from the difference in HOW things work, and the MINIMUM amount of knowledge that the average person needs to know about how such a thing works in order to get by.
@@cadetCap1exactly. People are too dumb to put the effort into thinking about things like this, so the dumbed-down version becomes the norm and therefore people get confused.
I melt metal in my microwave with a "ceramic" crucible made of dried clay, colloidal silica and clay powder. This way I can melt enough bronze to make small jewelry without a gas furnace ✌️
I put erlenmeyer flasks with the top covered by aluminum foil in the microwave all the time. It's perfectly fine as long as the foil is well flattened and placed away from the sides and roof.
I mean.. microwaving food has plenty of health issues. And this Hank guy speaks with such a condescending manner it should repulse anyone with average levels of kindness and empathy.
@@mullz.mThat’s just the way he talks, about anything. He’s always excited to explain. I see it as more of an, “I’m glad you asked” attitude than condescending.
Look at mrgreens recent video on microwaves, very informative. Grew up with parents who refused to get a microwave because they were convinced they magically generated radiation and eating foods from them would cause cancer. They still don’t get it unfortunately.
Did you know you can measure the speed of light using a microwave... and cheese? (Id also suggest looking up MinuteFood's video on Microwaves and Air fryers; its really fascinating!)
No, that's not why. The whole point of microwaves is that they don't get absorbed by anything. It passed through the food, excited the molecules, and then vibrate to warm the food. It's okay to run it empty, though why would you.
@12345678abracadabra nothing is probably one of the more dangerous things you can run in a microwave because the perforated grill in the metal where the magnatron emits the microwaves into the chamber in the first place is the only way for the radiation to escape with nothing absorbing it. Firing microwaves back into the magnatron can cause all kinds of electrical issues and they're unpredictable wit effects ranging from Lower efficiency, failure to run when prompted, running without being prompted, scrambling the electronics of the screen and keyboard, starting a fire because the capacitors in the housing blew. Most newer microwaves have a sensor that stops it if it catches the magnatron backfiring but plenty of older or cheeper ones don't.
Also, the issue is sharp pointy metal, like cultery, particularly knives and forks, anything that has a narrow handle, or foil that has been folded. The pointier something is, the more electrical charge concentrates in the points due to the corona effect, making it MUCH more like for an electric arc to jump and spark out, damaging the machine.
I said this myself around 1983 after my brother put an Arby's sandwich in the microwave. It melted the ceiling of the microwave a little bit but that microwave continued to work for another 20 years.
I remember watching my friend put cds in his microwave because he liked watching the arc patterns they made. Mind you, it was his personal microwave, not the family microwave. The cds were just old burned discs that no longer worked correctly. I don't suggest doing it, but it does look really cool when they spark.
yup, we do that in IT to wipe data from disks, tape media, and other things to kill them before disposing of them to prevent PII ("Personally Identifiable Information", like name, address, phone number, credit card info etc) from being accessible.
Metal is fine in the microwave as long as there arent rough edges or shapes like forks. You could use a metal plate. The thicker the metal the more energy is absorbed by it. It does reflect most of it as well.
I was 9 or 10 when I asked why you don't put metal in the microwave when the microwave is made of metal. Both of my Grandpas were there, one a WWII Master Supply Sergeant and the other a retired USCG Pilot who had retired to teach at a local college. I'm such a nerd that I was enthralled with the hour or five they spent explaining radar, microwaves, and radio communications. The thing that made it take all afternoon was that they were there for most of it, and, being both veterans and grandpas, they couldn't stop interrupting themselves and each other with stories about the history around the tech. Some stories were related, even if not even remotely relevant, like Captain So-and-so and his penchant for having a spotless uniform, save for a single smudge of grease above his nametag to honor the mechanics and Engineers, and and remember his father, who was an auto mechanic back home. Other stories were both related and extremely relevant, such as losing a shipmate to the cold when they were installing the Dewline in Canada and Alaska. Since the food they were preparing was ready to cook after that last story, they taught me how to make a fire with just a couple of sticks and used that to start the BBQ.
Lol I feel what you're feeling bro. I had the same interactions with the various veterans, scientists and engineers I've met throughout my life thanks to my father. All of them did similar things, such as moving from the subject into some retrospective story, analogy or memory they had that could either: correlate to the topic at hand, or deviate from it entirely, but it was still fascinating to listen to as a young lad.
@@perhapsbutmaybe do you want a detailed explanation or is it enough to say that this think acts like a antenna with so much power and such a frequency that it produce high energy microwaves.
I had a friend whose microwave weirdly didn't react too much to metal in it. It was even written in its instructions that you can put a metal spoon in a drink you're microwaving to speed up the heating.
That's literally my microwave oven. You can even leave a fork inside and it's fine. What I find interesting as an electrician is that it takes the same current at every power setting 😂
@@czechgop7631 Microwave power settings usually work by turning the microwave off and on in a specific pattern, so for example on 800W the magnetron would be turned on continuously, while on 200W the magnetron could be turned on for 15 seconds and then off for 45 seconds, so it would only be on a quarter of the time. But during the time it's on, all settings take the same power.
One of the apartments I lived in many years ago already had a microwave in it, an old one, and it had a metal rack in it like an oven. I had no idea you could do that lol
Accidentally left a fork in a bowl of nopdles when heating them up when I was little and never forgot. The microwave exploded. It made a few pop sounds then exploded. My parents never bought a new one so my entire childhood my siblings would look at me when mentioning how they had to pop popcorn,and burritos without a microwave.... Don't put metal in the microwave.
Scrolling through shorts and as soon as I heard your voice it through me right back to 1st year in Uni studying anatomy and physiology 🤮 your videos are what literally got me through all my exams 🤣🫶🏼
I remember explaining this to my mom a few years ago. She didn't believe me till i stuck a spoon in my science microwave for a good couple minutes to no effect but a hot spoon, then did the same with a fork and the thing was buzzing and sparkling in seconds. Like Hank said don't put metal in your microwave, but if you are gonna do it, do it in your science microwave, not your food microwave and have a fire extinguisher handy
My forks don't spark at all! I can put whole ass metal pots in it, a metal rack, knives,... No alu foil tho! But my grandmother's ancient microwave will throw a fit at any metal. I think those heavy wattage old ones are more prone to sparking.
Very cool. The electric guitar electrician guy did a video on this and the fork just heated up but it’s still not good to risk anything. Having a small tip of metal in an energy hotspot is a cause of the sparks
You're completely missing the point, if you put in a random piece of metal, it's ungrounded and doesn't surround the microwave, it's free standing, so it acts like an antenna. Intense microwaves cause massive potential to be induced across it (voltage), which causes breakdown of air and conduction (giant sparks). "concentrating microwaves" like this guy says is a tiny effect
Thank you, now this I can understand. The video guy is kinda slow for a lack of better words that utube doesn’t allow anyone to use, and didn’t explain it very well.
@@imsohigh4520He does general science stuff but he only barely scratches the surface. He could tell the biggest bs and viewers would not notice since they don't know anything about it.
@@mrooz9065 I think they are saying the new metal object attracts and absorbs too much micro-waves and all that concentrated energy shoots out as sparks. Pretty much the same thing just slightly more detailed.
@@mrooz9065 The "why" is different. He's not wrong, but it's a tiny effect compared to what I said. The antenna thing I mention has nothing to do with "concentrating" the microwaves...at worst, what he says makes your food cook a little less evenly, instead of the death shower of sparks you'll get
If it helps you at all, I work in radio I spend all day around non-ionizing radiation, tho not usually 900Mhz (we do use 900mhz point to point connections for sending audio) but 530Khz to 1.7Mhz and 88Mhz to 108Mhz (plus I dabble in GMRS which sits in the 400Mhz band) I’m perfectly fine, going on 5 years in the job, I know guys in their 80s who started when they were 11 and honestly, they are in better shape then me! 😅
Not to mention, we've been playing with ghz-range radio waves since the 1890s. They can cause thermal burns, of course, that's why microwave ovens work in the first place. But if there were any other long-term effects on the human body, we would have noticed by now.
I also has these irrational thoughts until I watched MrGreenGuy (NileGreen)'s video about microwaves. Really helped put me at ease xD Turns out that without the amplification of the oven's cage , the waves are extremely weak and can't really do anything. So even if you punch a hole through the side panels, what leaks out is pretty much harmless.
@THenny33 yes bouncing microwaves. Your sock isn't metallic, so microwaves can penetrate it, and it reaches the fork, and the fork causes the weird bouncing microwaves.
I can also recommend "this video about microwaves is interesting I promise" bij Tom Scott. About the origin of microwaves. It is as promised, very interesting.
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light, and infrared and UV and X-rays etc. The microwaves produced in the microwave form a standing wave, and interact with the bonds between atoms in your food and cause them to vibrate and heat up.
When I was younger I decided that in order to make the button softer (it was winter time in my country so it was like it was frozen solid) I put in the microwave. Butter isn't made of metal so no big deal but the packaging it comes in is a thin metallic foil it's hard to describe it any other way. I learned the hard way when it CAUGHT FIRE. In case anyone was wondering the button was a lot softer after that.
I read that someone who is good in a subject can understand it themselves, someone who is great can understand and explain it to others. Thank you for being that great teacher, Mr. Hank💖
My father always said it didn't matter how educated someone was -- they don't know what they're talking about if they can't explain it to someone who isn't in words they can understand.
I read somewhere that one of the best things you can do for a child's developing brain is ask them about things they've just recently learned. Them learning to explain about the certain subject can give them a better understanding of said subject. It also helps to connect brain neurons or something like that.
Brings me back to a time when CZcams had a yellow subscribe button. There was a really old series called: "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This?" They put so much weird crap in their microwaves but it was so fun to see WHY you're not supposed to put certain stuff in it.
I hadn’t had an issue remembering not to put metal in the microwave until I bought a different brand of butter one time lol. I guess the wrapper was some sort of coated tin foil instead of my usual brand’s coated paper. Luckily I was just softening it on the lowest setting, but I got a little light show lol
Love the arc of Hank being a public servant for science. Feels like Hank has handled the realization that “it doesn’t ever end until you do” better than John.
@DevinOfBacon _Kinda_ same. I've *_definitely kept spoons or forks in with things that are being heated without issue, but the microwaves were probably just being absorbed _before *or after_* being reflected. In short order too, considering how much water there must have been surrounding it...
I wish they taught us at a younger age that all em radiation is the same stuff at different wavelengths. Would help so much understanding how they work
Thank you! As an adult I could not figure out WHY the Arby’s wrapper was so flammable, but those screws weren’t. When I installed my first microwave, I spent an hour researching if I was supposed to remove those screws.
@@Hirotoro4692those screws are holding in hooks for a rack in this video. A metal rack. Depending on the microwave some can be used as an actual oven and come with a metal rack to go in there. The manual will tell you what mode the microwave needs to be in to do this properly so you dont make anything explode
I put metal in microwaves all the time. Mostly forks and spoons or even aluminum plates. It’s really not an issue as long as any sharp corners of the metal are covered with food that contains water. What you don’t want is a fork that’s exposed in the microwave because you‘ll get sparks between its prongs. This is because electric fields get really strong on sharp corners of metal objects and if there’s just air between the prongs the air can get ionized easily. Having an exposed spoon is really not an issue at all, it can just get very hot.
Because unfortunately Social media has caused a steep regression in intellect, and what is taught isn’t explained in any detail because nobody has enough critical thinking skills to understand what is being told to them.
This one short made me follow immediately cus idk I love when someone enthusiastically explains these random ass things I will 100% be wondering about, thank you for explaining!
we have a few metal plates (camp plates) that my mum likes to put in the microwave! there are no ill effects thankfully but when i saw her do it the first time i was like WTF
Fun fact the little circles in the side of the microwave are called wave cavities, and are designed to bounce the microwave RF waves (the ones heating your food) but they allow light to go through. That’s why we can see the inside of the microwave, cause otherwise the light would also be trapped inside
Just to anyone wondering the bouncing occurs due to the “size” of the wavelength. Visible light is only a couple hundred nanometers “wide” where as a microwave produces light with a wavelength bigger than the circles. In effect the mesh acts like a shape sorter for light only allowing “small” wavelength light to pass while reflecting longer/“bigger” wavelengths back inside.
The door reflects microwaves because the wavelength of the microwaves are actually larger (trough to crest) than those holes are wide. Microwaves are actually large in their wavelength, compared to light waves or radio waves. I tripped out when I learned that.
@@cjwild1microwaves produce light with waves bigger than the circle? The lightwaves are reflected back inside? What wave is actually cooking the food. Your comment is worded wrong or im just confused after reading it and not understanding it.
@@lupinsvinylsSo it's all Electromagnetic radiation. The microwaves are the radiation that bounces around inside heating your food and their wavelength is too big to pass through the metal while visible light is small enough to pass through the metal allowing you to look inside it while it's operating. The light inside a microwave oven of course comes from a normal lamp in there while the microwaves are generated by a separate emitter (it has a specific name but I don't remember it right now, you can probably look it up)
If I am not mistaken, the biggest problem is a metal part with small radius surface (aka: a pointy bit), like say a fork, because thats where sparks happen due to electromagnetic induction.
once as a child i put a metal pot in the microwave to warm up some beans. it worked beautifully for about 10 seconds no drama at all, then the base rotated to the handle touched the back and it created a massive arc that spot welded the pot to the back wall. riped it out but it left a big burn mark. parents did not notice and about 15 years later they replaced it.
the enthusiasm hank has for science is so refreshing
I've been in this infotainment corner of the internet for a while, and to me it's not really refreshing anymore. But I think it's a good thing that this enthusiasm is normalized :D
Its not just him. Some people never want to stop learning... the love i have for this man...
Exactly
Some of this stiff isnt even science well it is science but its also commen sense
@@AnimilesYT maybe time for a tolerance break?
Despite knowing microwaves were metal, it never exactly clicked that they're metal
Don’t worry 95% of us never thought about it.
Honestly, same…
pretty sure it has a lot to do with the coating on the inside also, my mom had a old microwave that the coating started to come off in a corner and it was causing sparks lol
same honestly
Literally same 💀💀
He said : “hold my centrifuge”
😂😂😂😂
hhhhhhhhhh
@@Jsjjskk anyone have a fuck to give this guy
😭😭😭😭
how is microwave a form of light? I think you mean microwaves are a form electromagnetic radiation as is light. The definition of light is electromagnetic radiation the is visible to the human eye.
I had a microwave where the paint started chipping off and exposing the bare metal underneath. It started sparking every time I used it.
Same 🤣 it would only do it like every few times
@@kaleycoleman437 Mine became unusable very quickly
Your microwave is special. It has an extra way of cooking the food😂
@@ashlynstrickland2576 If only it was edible afterwards
@@PenneySounds 😂
I put tinfoil in the microwave once, 2 seconds of a mini lightning storm told me never to do that again. I think the burn marks are still in the back of my parents microwave.
You should try putting a single serving potato chip bag in the microwave though. No more than 5 seconds. They shrink!!
@@EmpressLizard81you can put a chip packet in the oven and do the same thing without risking damage to the microwave.
My dumbass put an entire pot with ramen in it in the microwave when I was like 6 or 7. Almost blew us all up, good thing my mom caught it right away. 💀
@@ZeroshikiMy little sister did something similar at that age too. She was trying to make a baked/jacket potato but got the methods confused. Instead of putting the foil wrapped spud in the oven, she tried to nuke it, and us. It caught fire and destroyed the inside of the microwave. Luckily our dad saw the funny side of it and didn't get mad. 😂
Did the same with a ceramic bowl that had a gold rim
I thought the gold was fake
Thankfully it only sparked for a second and didn’t burn anything
"First of all don't put metal in the microwave" is an important point to reiterate immediately
Yeah
Idk, I live by "don't dig a pop tart out with a fork unless you unplug the toaster first."
@@lmdirkdiggler7170Pathetic
This is significantly more dangerous than metal in a microwave
I mean, I dont and wouldn't do it.
But youd have to microwave metal intentionally for minutes on end before anything really happens. Its quite literally harmless to microwave metal for a few seconds.
I think another reason is the inside of the microwave is all electrically connected, but a random fork in it isn't. The EM wave can induce different potential on these two metal pieces. At microwave's voltage this creates arc, and you get lightning imbued fork and house fire
Every single time i open my microwave, I ask myself this very question, with a metal rack sitting in there
What rack
@@Penguuproduction I think they're talking about that tray thingy that u can put your plate onto so the plate is higher and closer to the grill (some microwaves have a grill function, spirals that heat up acting as one).
Stainless steel is safe it’s aluminum that is dangerous.
I was so confused when I bought my house with a built in microwave that had a metal rack in it. Everytime I microwaved there were little sparks near one of the corners of the rack everytime, so I took it out. Never tried the rack again, still don't trust it.
Radio waves cannot penetrate the rod metal, its made from, but aluminium foil will spark
This is the issue with telling people "what" without telling them "why"
Edit: For all the people in the comments who lack reading skills. The "what" in this case is: Metal in the microwave creates fires. The "why" is what Hank explains. Hope this helps.
a bit of high school physics and critical thinking should tell you why
@@howardlam6181 nobody remembers what they learned in class the minute the test for it is over.
don't expect people to remember stuff years later that they never understood.
@@dovos8572then they won't remember after telling them why either. If they have no interest in learning it and keeping it in their brains, they will eventually forget anyway. In fact, if they wanted to learn, Google exists.
@@dovos8572just cause you don’t remember stuff from school doesn’t mean the rest of us 1. Don’t remember as well or 2. Didn’t continue to go to school to make what we learned into a career.
@@Link-1004you type like an autistic step mother.
To be quite honest, never once have i ever thought about this. I just accepted the fact that "metal in microwave = bad"
Yea i realized I remembered it’s bad shit
Sometimes getting the abridged version is ok. The normal person doesn't need to really know down to the detail why we don't put metal in microwaves. We just need to know that we shouldn't and maybe potential consequences.
I learned this rule through 8-year old experience. The fire and smoke was enough for me to abide by that rule for the rest of my life.
Weird my family always taught me to never microwave forks
Only time I thought about it was when our new microwave came with a whole metal tray! I was like wait isn't this Bad/Illegal 💀
I once accidentally left a fork on the side of a plate of some crap I wanted heated and immediately saw the Auroras appear. Don't put metal objects in your microwave people.
You just made me want to leave metal in my microwave
@@poe526do it
@@poe526 Exactly! That's more intriguing than deterring.
Specifically within your kitchen?
I did the same, a metal fork. It was more than 2 seconds but I could hear the sparks. In another instance I left the foil wrap on a burger and microwaved it. It started burning the paper side of the wrap. I don't know what happen if I leave those for a full minute, but I don't wanna find out in my own house.
This is cool. Thanks Hank, for blessing the world with your knowledge and excellent explanations
I once accidentally left a bit of foil lid on the rim of a plastic, microwaveable meal. The amount of mini lightening flashes had me thinking Thor was about to superhero land in the middle of my kitchen.
Even worse when you're afraid to go stop it lmfao
I had this happen to me when I put in something that I was sure was plastic but it turned out to be aluminium instead.
I was once baking and a little absentminded, to be fair it was early in the morning and haven't drink my coffee yet. I wanted to lessen the amount of dirty dishes to be washed, so I put the whole MIXING BOWL (ofc, it was made of metal) in there to melt the butter.
I KNEW metal inside the microwave was dangerous but didn't know the exact reason why, and my brain decided to forget about that information that morning. Unsurprisingly, not even 5 secs in and I saw sparks inside lmao. I was terrified and even unplugged the microwave before getting it out. My adrenaline was definitely more effective than caffeine in waking me up that day.
Well for what it’s worth, if you do it again, you’ll get to see Stan Lee, too
I did the same thing with a take out container of Chinese Food... Didn't realize there was a staple holding it together.
"plasmafy the air" is a phrase i simultaneously want to hear more often and never at all
I liked the emphasis he put on it😂
yea, I feel like we need a follow up to that one.
@@ioweutube2 it's an interesting turn of phrase and it's pleasing to the ear, but I never want to hear it said as a command by someone who looks bond villainy
i got reminded of the scene from watchmen when dr manhattan explodes.
Put a grape in it, or anything similarly shaped
So, moral of the story is I can put some metal in the microwave if I can calculate exactly how it will behave?
Wish my science teachers were like this
More specifically, the main reason people are told not to put metal in the microwave is because *certain shapes* of metal can cause problems when subjected to microwave frequencies (in particular, many shapes with sharp edges or corners, and pieces which are a size which is around the same size as the wavelength of the microwaves). If *those particular shapes* of metal are put in a microwave, they can become very hot, or produce electrical arcs, etc, which can lead to bad things.
The metal which is built into your microwave has been very carefully designed and tested to make sure that it is not the kind of shape/size which will cause problems, but if you just put some random metal thing in there, you really have no idea whether it will be a problem or not. It could be fine, or it could be bad, so the general advice is just "don't do that".
There are actually some types of metal which are intended to be put in microwaves, though, such as metallized foils used in some types of microwave food packaging. They have also been specially designed and tested to produce a particular effect (usually getting hot (but not too hot), etc), and there is actually a lot of science that goes into designing that kind of thing.
A lot of misunderstandings of how things work is born from the difference in HOW things work, and the MINIMUM amount of knowledge that the average person needs to know about how such a thing works in order to get by.
That is also what I've heard. I believe there can also be problems where metal getting close to the walls can cause arcing.
@@cadetCap1exactly. People are too dumb to put the effort into thinking about things like this, so the dumbed-down version becomes the norm and therefore people get confused.
I melt metal in my microwave with a "ceramic" crucible made of dried clay, colloidal silica and clay powder. This way I can melt enough bronze to make small jewelry without a gas furnace ✌️
I put erlenmeyer flasks with the top covered by aluminum foil in the microwave all the time. It's perfectly fine as long as the foil is well flattened and placed away from the sides and roof.
The world’s shortest and most regularly deserved poetic ode:
Thanks, Hank!
..."my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge" - Isaac Asimov
@@mark-ish If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?
(falsely attributed to Will Rogers)
Thank you, i really needed this,again, thank you.
OMG YOU’RE ON MY BIOLOGY VIDEOS FOR CLASS!
I'm actually glad to hear an explanation.
Watch Electro Booms video on metal in microwaves. It's mostly safe so long as it doesn't touch the walls and isn't thin enough to catch fire
I mean.. microwaving food has plenty of health issues.
And this Hank guy speaks with such a condescending manner it should repulse anyone with average levels of kindness and empathy.
@@hadvar.the.viking I always wondered about the metal rings on the soup at hands. That makes sense now.
@@mullz.m Sorry, I don't do empathy. it's not a survival trait. But I have sympathy for you looking into a mirror.
@@mullz.mThat’s just the way he talks, about anything. He’s always excited to explain. I see it as more of an, “I’m glad you asked” attitude than condescending.
This is my first time hearing someone actually explain the microwaves inside of a microwave.
Look at mrgreens recent video on microwaves, very informative.
Grew up with parents who refused to get a microwave because they were convinced they magically generated radiation and eating foods from them would cause cancer. They still don’t get it unfortunately.
Having a physics masters mom, I've heard the explanation a few times, but I still apreciate it from another source
Someone needs to attend school
it's literally on the user manual
Did you know you can measure the speed of light using a microwave... and cheese?
(Id also suggest looking up MinuteFood's video on Microwaves and Air fryers; its really fascinating!)
Bro flipped him off in science 😂
Thank you for wonderful explanation
Appreciate it
this is also why you should not run a microwave empty, with nothing to absorb those tasty rays
The glass tray will absorb the energy if nothing else is inside.
No, that's not why. The whole point of microwaves is that they don't get absorbed by anything. It passed through the food, excited the molecules, and then vibrate to warm the food. It's okay to run it empty, though why would you.
@12345678abracadabra nothing is probably one of the more dangerous things you can run in a microwave because the perforated grill in the metal where the magnatron emits the microwaves into the chamber in the first place is the only way for the radiation to escape with nothing absorbing it.
Firing microwaves back into the magnatron can cause all kinds of electrical issues and they're unpredictable wit effects ranging from
Lower efficiency, failure to run when prompted, running without being prompted, scrambling the electronics of the screen and keyboard, starting a fire because the capacitors in the housing blew.
Most newer microwaves have a sensor that stops it if it catches the magnatron backfiring but plenty of older or cheeper ones don't.
BS
@@12345678abracadabraYeah, sure.
Also, the issue is sharp pointy metal, like cultery, particularly knives and forks, anything that has a narrow handle, or foil that has been folded.
The pointier something is, the more electrical charge concentrates in the points due to the corona effect, making it MUCH more like for an electric arc to jump and spark out, damaging the machine.
These waves are electromagnetic waves and therefore if you put any nonferrous metal into a microwave you will cause an explosion.
Actually spoons with no sharp handle is ok to put in a microwave. There will be no such point of energy release
I see you've watched Electroboom
@@coastergirl98 two more times and you can summon the wizard himself.
I'd also reckon the hull of the microwave is grounded in some way to handle any electrical load and prevent bad things from happening
Ok! Thanks, sir, that was actually worth listening to!
Wait, did I just do a learn on this here CZcams? Well played sir, well played.
We need more educational shorts like this
@RG-hj2ky why are you watching then lol
@RG-hj2kythen why you watch this short? You can just scroll away who force you here?
@RG-hj2kybased take honestly
@RG-hj2ky He should do a short on why people watch things they find annoying 😂 I guess that'd be more psychology though
@RG-hj2kyJust scroll away.
Ohhh this is actually very educational and fairly easy to understand. I'd like plenty more of this.
U know mannii show he has an wireless earbud and he has one weird I m on to something
@@peterangelo-cn3brnigga what
The way he described it makes me want to put metal into a microwave even more than before.
He didn't describe it at all though 😂😂😂. How do you get educated from nothing?
@@jeffhall768 it’s way easier just to say you’re a little slow kiddo.
Thanks for finally saying it short and clear
This guy looks like he gives Ted Talks about retro gaming hardware.
"daddy, the microwave is shooting fireworks!"
It's magmafying💀
I said this myself around 1983 after my brother put an Arby's sandwich in the microwave. It melted the ceiling of the microwave a little bit but that microwave continued to work for another 20 years.
@@lewissmith4602💀💀💀 sigma much?
I remember watching my friend put cds in his microwave because he liked watching the arc patterns they made. Mind you, it was his personal microwave, not the family microwave. The cds were just old burned discs that no longer worked correctly. I don't suggest doing it, but it does look really cool when they spark.
your dad created a demon core
yup, we do that in IT to wipe data from disks, tape media, and other things to kill them before disposing of them to prevent PII ("Personally Identifiable Information", like name, address, phone number, credit card info etc) from being accessible.
@@randomthe0newtf?
@@randomthe0ne wtf?
had to get rid of a lot of garbage CDs at a place I was working at, we def did that to a few of them to see the cool patterns in the reflective side
This man answers so many questions I never knew I had. But it's...*SOOOOOO* good to know these things
Metal is fine in the microwave as long as there arent rough edges or shapes like forks. You could use a metal plate. The thicker the metal the more energy is absorbed by it. It does reflect most of it as well.
I was 9 or 10 when I asked why you don't put metal in the microwave when the microwave is made of metal. Both of my Grandpas were there, one a WWII Master Supply Sergeant and the other a retired USCG Pilot who had retired to teach at a local college. I'm such a nerd that I was enthralled with the hour or five they spent explaining radar, microwaves, and radio communications.
The thing that made it take all afternoon was that they were there for most of it, and, being both veterans and grandpas, they couldn't stop interrupting themselves and each other with stories about the history around the tech. Some stories were related, even if not even remotely relevant, like Captain So-and-so and his penchant for having a spotless uniform, save for a single smudge of grease above his nametag to honor the mechanics and Engineers, and and remember his father, who was an auto mechanic back home. Other stories were both related and extremely relevant, such as losing a shipmate to the cold when they were installing the Dewline in Canada and Alaska. Since the food they were preparing was ready to cook after that last story, they taught me how to make a fire with just a couple of sticks and used that to start the BBQ.
This little blurb alone was worth paying attention to, thanks for sharing!
that's a wonderful story, wish I had such awesome grandfathers myself. thanks for sharing
Beautiful
Cherish that memory forever. ❤
Lol I feel what you're feeling bro. I had the same interactions with the various veterans, scientists and engineers I've met throughout my life thanks to my father.
All of them did similar things, such as moving from the subject into some retrospective story, analogy or memory they had that could either: correlate to the topic at hand, or deviate from it entirely, but it was still fascinating to listen to as a young lad.
I love when i actually understand stuff like this
really, tell me more.
Cool
More.
Ok explain how the magnetron works, cause that thing is just magic
@@perhapsbutmaybe do you want a detailed explanation or is it enough to say that this think acts like a antenna with so much power and such a frequency that it produce high energy microwaves.
Yes! More education! Love these shorts.
I learned soooo much from watching you in crash course. Honestly thrilled to have found you here.
I had a friend whose microwave weirdly didn't react too much to metal in it. It was even written in its instructions that you can put a metal spoon in a drink you're microwaving to speed up the heating.
I’ve read that spoons are typically fine in microwaves. It’s forks you gotta worry about.
I just started doing this unironically I forgot to take out my spoon once and it didn’t do anything so i havent worried since
That's literally my microwave oven. You can even leave a fork inside and it's fine.
What I find interesting as an electrician is that it takes the same current at every power setting 😂
@@czechgop7631 maybe the power setting decreases/increases the resistance while keeping the current the same? idk
@@czechgop7631 Microwave power settings usually work by turning the microwave off and on in a specific pattern, so for example on 800W the magnetron would be turned on continuously, while on 200W the magnetron could be turned on for 15 seconds and then off for 45 seconds, so it would only be on a quarter of the time. But during the time it's on, all settings take the same power.
I'm glad to hear one person that actually tells what happens instead of " it's not dangerous don't worry about it, nothing happens"
One of the apartments I lived in many years ago already had a microwave in it, an old one, and it had a metal rack in it like an oven. I had no idea you could do that lol
I loved watching your videos in nursing school! Thank you!
Them microwaves got so much energy they're bouncing off the walls
They gotta have enough energy to make the moisture in your food wiggle lol
Love the clear, concise yet detailed and enthusiastic explanation. 👍👌
Accidentally left a fork in a bowl of nopdles when heating them up when I was little and never forgot.
The microwave exploded.
It made a few pop sounds then exploded.
My parents never bought a new one so my entire childhood my siblings would look at me when mentioning how they had to pop popcorn,and burritos without a microwave....
Don't put metal in the microwave.
@@almessasorrow4950 loool, parents said no more
Scrolling through shorts and as soon as I heard your voice it through me right back to 1st year in Uni studying anatomy and physiology 🤮 your videos are what literally got me through all my exams 🤣🫶🏼
Thank you so much. This was so helpful. And easy to understand
Wait till OP learns that those hooks are to hold a giant metal rack! Mine has one like that!
Huh I've never seen one in a microwave before
Mine has one too! I've never used it though
What is the rack for?
@@kashiichanobviously so you can bbq in your microwave, what else? /s
@@kashiichanso you can double decker plates in there.
I remember explaining this to my mom a few years ago. She didn't believe me till i stuck a spoon in my science microwave for a good couple minutes to no effect but a hot spoon, then did the same with a fork and the thing was buzzing and sparkling in seconds. Like Hank said don't put metal in your microwave, but if you are gonna do it, do it in your science microwave, not your food microwave and have a fire extinguisher handy
I had to do the same thing. Also, microwaving your spoon does make it perfect for scooping ice cream.
My forks don't spark at all! I can put whole ass metal pots in it, a metal rack, knives,... No alu foil tho!
But my grandmother's ancient microwave will throw a fit at any metal. I think those heavy wattage old ones are more prone to sparking.
@@MrsJolene- thin metal produce sparks but thicker one shouldn't
@@thecr3at0r75just microwave a cup of water and let the spoon warm up in there lol
@@anitawu5622 true, but the microwave is quicker. And you get to cause concern in any bystanders.
Very cool. The electric guitar electrician guy did a video on this and the fork just heated up but it’s still not good to risk anything. Having a small tip of metal in an energy hotspot is a cause of the sparks
I’m lucky I’m literally just learning this in science class.
You're completely missing the point, if you put in a random piece of metal, it's ungrounded and doesn't surround the microwave, it's free standing, so it acts like an antenna. Intense microwaves cause massive potential to be induced across it (voltage), which causes breakdown of air and conduction (giant sparks). "concentrating microwaves" like this guy says is a tiny effect
Thank you, now this I can understand. The video guy is kinda slow for a lack of better words that utube doesn’t allow anyone to use, and didn’t explain it very well.
@@imsohigh4520He does general science stuff but he only barely scratches the surface. He could tell the biggest bs and viewers would not notice since they don't know anything about it.
Aren’t you saying the same?
@@mrooz9065 I think they are saying the new metal object attracts and absorbs too much micro-waves and all that concentrated energy shoots out as sparks. Pretty much the same thing just slightly more detailed.
@@mrooz9065 The "why" is different. He's not wrong, but it's a tiny effect compared to what I said.
The antenna thing I mention has nothing to do with "concentrating" the microwaves...at worst, what he says makes your food cook a little less evenly, instead of the death shower of sparks you'll get
The subtext in “and then PLASMAFY THE AIR IN YOUR MICROWAVE” is perfectly delivered! 😂😂😱
for those of us lesser intelligent, can you explain what the subtext is
@@philburdell9235I mean do you want the air in your kitchen appliances to plasmify?
@@interycreeper1152 is that what the subtext is
The paint covering those metal surfaces helps considerably- might want to mention that part.
This is just such a beautiful, wonderfully perfect video.
My mantra, every time I turn on the microwave: "It's non-ionising. Non-ionising. It can't hurt you. It's just spicy wi-fi."
If it helps you at all, I work in radio I spend all day around non-ionizing radiation, tho not usually 900Mhz (we do use 900mhz point to point connections for sending audio) but 530Khz to 1.7Mhz and 88Mhz to 108Mhz (plus I dabble in GMRS which sits in the 400Mhz band)
I’m perfectly fine, going on 5 years in the job, I know guys in their 80s who started when they were 11 and honestly, they are in better shape then me! 😅
.... Spicey wi-fi? I'm gonna steal that haha
Not to mention, we've been playing with ghz-range radio waves since the 1890s. They can cause thermal burns, of course, that's why microwave ovens work in the first place. But if there were any other long-term effects on the human body, we would have noticed by now.
@@danloeser yes RF burns are always possible, more so for me less likely for the mass public
I also has these irrational thoughts until I watched MrGreenGuy (NileGreen)'s video about microwaves. Really helped put me at ease xD
Turns out that without the amplification of the oven's cage , the waves are extremely weak and can't really do anything. So even if you punch a hole through the side panels, what leaks out is pretty much harmless.
I appreciate that intelligent information spoken with such concise terminology. This man deserves it all❤
You can wap a metal fork in a sock, and it still will spark. No bouncing microwaves
So can we put metal in there or no? 😂
@@nicoledykstra9683No ma’am.
@THenny33 yes bouncing microwaves. Your sock isn't metallic, so microwaves can penetrate it, and it reaches the fork, and the fork causes the weird bouncing microwaves.
And a condescending tone
I was today years old when I learned this. Thankyou Hank!
One of the best explanations of this I've heard.
"First of all, don't put metal in the microwave"
my favorite opening line ever
Except you can leave a fork in the microwave
I stg a secret thing on my bucket list was always for someone to explain to me how a microwave work and im so thankful for this video
I can also recommend "this video about microwaves is interesting I promise" bij Tom Scott. About the origin of microwaves. It is as promised, very interesting.
Micro waves
You have google
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light, and infrared and UV and X-rays etc. The microwaves produced in the microwave form a standing wave, and interact with the bonds between atoms in your food and cause them to vibrate and heat up.
So we can type words onto a video hosting website as complex as that can be but your fucking skills stop at a Google search?
When I was younger I decided that in order to make the button softer (it was winter time in my country so it was like it was frozen solid) I put in the microwave. Butter isn't made of metal so no big deal but the packaging it comes in is a thin metallic foil it's hard to describe it any other way. I learned the hard way when it CAUGHT FIRE.
In case anyone was wondering the button was a lot softer after that.
I wish I had a friend like this who can answer all your questions. Also, he'd be a great parent of small children always asking 'why?'
Hank and John are both just the biggest blessings ❤
Truly
Who is John?
I read that someone who is good in a subject can understand it themselves, someone who is great can understand and explain it to others.
Thank you for being that great teacher, Mr. Hank💖
My father always said it didn't matter how educated someone was -- they don't know what they're talking about if they can't explain it to someone who isn't in words they can understand.
Old school glazing💀💀/j
I read somewhere that one of the best things you can do for a child's developing brain is ask them about things they've just recently learned. Them learning to explain about the certain subject can give them a better understanding of said subject. It also helps to connect brain neurons or something like that.
Brings me back to a time when CZcams had a yellow subscribe button. There was a really old series called: "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This?" They put so much weird crap in their microwaves but it was so fun to see WHY you're not supposed to put certain stuff in it.
why is this exiting? i feel like a knowledge junkie
Thank you for explaining the Faraday cage in the microwave. Gonna send this to mom because she listens to you.
I hadn’t had an issue remembering not to put metal in the microwave until I bought a different brand of butter one time lol. I guess the wrapper was some sort of coated tin foil instead of my usual brand’s coated paper. Luckily I was just softening it on the lowest setting, but I got a little light show lol
That happened to me too😂
Tf? Why not just use creamy butter?
@@boxedming it was for a baking recipe and I had forgotten to soften the butter at room temperature ahead of time
@@ohrats731 makes sense then
Thank you so much ive been wondering about this my whole life
My mind was blown when i found out you can microwave those metal containers from costa vida or cafe rio etc.
Love the arc of Hank being a public servant for science.
Feels like Hank has handled the realization that “it doesn’t ever end until you do” better than John.
Sorry for my ignorance but who is John
Hank’s brother
The end sounded like a personal thing, I frickin love the green brothers so much with their emphasis and tone 😂
He's condescending
@@JenningsFilmsincnaw he just fruity
Me when I was younger putting a pop tart in the microwave with foil still on😂
I really enjoyed learning something new today
I always just thought it was a specific type of metal that wouldn't be affected by the microwave.
@DevinOfBacon
_Kinda_ same. I've *_definitely kept spoons or forks in with things that are being heated without issue, but the microwaves were probably just being absorbed _before *or after_* being reflected. In short order too, considering how much water there must have been surrounding it...
@@ivoryas1696 My question is why tf were you microwaving water?
@@dennisddt1146
Oh, I meant the water _in_ the milk. I don't really do water very often...
I put a thermos in the microwave for 13 seconds, nothing happened but i stopped it after realizing what i did.
@@meegssan5716this one had no business being this funny to me
Good to see you bouncing back from the Chemo so well Hank!!❤
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THIS
Thank you for explaining how microwaves work
I never knew the specifics, I just knew not to put metal in them
He has such a fantastic way of explaining things
I love when I don't pay attention to what channel posted and I get surprised by Hank
God damn the way he explains this is soooo "chad", knowledge is attractive, but the delivery here is just such a beautiful step up.
This guy needs his own show.
I wish they taught us at a younger age that all em radiation is the same stuff at different wavelengths. Would help so much understanding how they work
Shorter wavelength = Higher frequency = More energy
Thank you! As an adult I could not figure out WHY the Arby’s wrapper was so flammable, but those screws weren’t. When I installed my first microwave, I spent an hour researching if I was supposed to remove those screws.
Those screws confuse me lol microwaves in my country don't have those
@@Hirotoro4692those screws are holding in hooks for a rack in this video. A metal rack. Depending on the microwave some can be used as an actual oven and come with a metal rack to go in there. The manual will tell you what mode the microwave needs to be in to do this properly so you dont make anything explode
Oh, this is the best ,simple to the point
I love the way Hank explains things
"First of all, don't put metal in the microwave" is where I lost it. It was like he was talking to a kid 😂😂
I put metal in microwaves all the time. Mostly forks and spoons or even aluminum plates. It’s really not an issue as long as any sharp corners of the metal are covered with food that contains water. What you don’t want is a fork that’s exposed in the microwave because you‘ll get sparks between its prongs. This is because electric fields get really strong on sharp corners of metal objects and if there’s just air between the prongs the air can get ionized easily. Having an exposed spoon is really not an issue at all, it can just get very hot.
Because unfortunately Social media has caused a steep regression in intellect, and what is taught isn’t explained in any detail because nobody has enough critical thinking skills to understand what is being told to them.
@manuel0578 I've definitely had the prongs exposed before 😳 but that's very interesting. Thanks 👍🏻
This one short made me follow immediately cus idk I love when someone enthusiastically explains these random ass things I will 100% be wondering about, thank you for explaining!
Same lol
Ya'll are in for a treat with this guy👌
Nah the guy with the microwave though he did something
we have a few metal plates (camp plates) that my mum likes to put in the microwave! there are no ill effects thankfully but when i saw her do it the first time i was like WTF
This is the sassiest, educating lecture ive ever listened to
Fun fact the little circles in the side of the microwave are called wave cavities, and are designed to bounce the microwave RF waves (the ones heating your food) but they allow light to go through. That’s why we can see the inside of the microwave, cause otherwise the light would also be trapped inside
Just to anyone wondering the bouncing occurs due to the “size” of the wavelength. Visible light is only a couple hundred nanometers “wide” where as a microwave produces light with a wavelength bigger than the circles. In effect the mesh acts like a shape sorter for light only allowing “small” wavelength light to pass while reflecting longer/“bigger” wavelengths back inside.
Yup, the little holes in layman terms also serve to keep the microwave cooking things INSIDE the microwave instead of cooking OUTSIDE of it
The door reflects microwaves because the wavelength of the microwaves are actually larger (trough to crest) than those holes are wide.
Microwaves are actually large in their wavelength, compared to light waves or radio waves.
I tripped out when I learned that.
@@cjwild1microwaves produce light with waves bigger than the circle? The lightwaves are reflected back inside? What wave is actually cooking the food. Your comment is worded wrong or im just confused after reading it and not understanding it.
@@lupinsvinylsSo it's all Electromagnetic radiation. The microwaves are the radiation that bounces around inside heating your food and their wavelength is too big to pass through the metal while visible light is small enough to pass through the metal allowing you to look inside it while it's operating. The light inside a microwave oven of course comes from a normal lamp in there while the microwaves are generated by a separate emitter (it has a specific name but I don't remember it right now, you can probably look it up)
You sir are the most useful person on the internet
Great explanation thank you!
Scrunched up ball of tinfoil: 🗿
Take a shot each time Hank says microwave
Bet
I'd be passed out before I got half way thru the short lol
More like drink a gallon of soy
@@kipo8454 this dude has not come back to us yet. hank killed another
If I am not mistaken, the biggest problem is a metal part with small radius surface (aka: a pointy bit), like say a fork, because thats where sparks happen due to electromagnetic induction.
once as a child i put a metal pot in the microwave to warm up some beans. it worked beautifully for about 10 seconds no drama at all, then the base rotated to the handle touched the back and it created a massive arc that spot welded the pot to the back wall. riped it out but it left a big burn mark. parents did not notice and about 15 years later they replaced it.