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Microwaves are high frequency radio waves. They were discovered by an engineer working on high frequency transmission and noticed his coffee got warm near the transmitter.
They burn internally because of their energy levels and frequency. That makes then more dangerous then lower frequencies.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago'Microwaves' ARE radio waves, and they're not necessarily any more dangerous
than any other radio wave with any other wavelength or frequency. The danger
only arises when you think about where you're likely to come in contact with
different kinds of radio waves, and how much.
-- Radio waves from AM, FM, TV stations:
They start out with hundreds or thousands of watts of power, from the tops of
tall towers. By the time they reach you, they're all spread out, and you're hundreds
of feet down and several miles away.
-- Radio waves from cellular telephone and mobile data repeaters:
They start out with 20 or 30 or 50 watts of power, from the tops of short towers.
By the time they reach you, they're all spread out, and you're way down on the
ground and a few miles away.
-- Radio waves from GPS satellites and TV satellites:
They start out with 50 or 100 watts of power, from 22,000 miles out in space.
-- Radio waves from the cellphone you talk on:
They start out with 1/2 watt or 1 watt or 2 watts of power. What's that you're doing . . .
holding it up next to your eyes and your brain ? ! ? A lot of people aren't too sure
about that yet.
-- Micro-radio-waves used to beam telephone conversations and stock trades
along intercity routes where fiber is too expensive and satellite links are too slow:
They start out with 1/4 watt or 1/2 watt from the top of a tall tower, and they
use big dish antennas to focus the power straight out in front of them. By the
time they reach you, you're hundreds of feet below, miles away, and if you have
another big dish antenna handy to collect them with, you might be able to collect
as much as 0.00001 watt of power.
-- Micro-radio waves used to heat meatloaf and make popcorn in a box on the counter
in your kitchen:
They start out 600 watts or 1,200 watts, or 2,000 watts of power, and you
stand there a few feet away waiting for the corn to pop, and the only thing
standing between you and enough radio-wave power to cook meat is that
thin RF filter in the window of the box.
You get less radiation exposure climbing a tower with ten microwave dishes and an FM transmitter on it than you get when you warm up the leftover meatloaf in the microwave oven.
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What is the difference between infrared waves and microwaves?
Microwaves are electromagnetic waves that occur on the EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation) scale above radio/tv waves and below infrared and visible light waves. They are used in cooking devices (microwave oven) and as carrier waves for cell phone and other communication devices. In other words, a "microwave" is a type of electromagnetic radiation (like visible light waves, tv waves and so on), and a "microwave oven" is a cooking device that uses microwaves to heat foods by stimulation of the water molecule. See the link below and read the answer posted to the related question for more.
Which one is higher energy gamma waves ultra violet waves microwaves radio waves?
The smaller the wavelength (high frequency), the higher the energy. So gamma has the highest energy, followed by x-rays, UV, visible, infrared, microwaves, radio, in descending order. This is also why green laser-pointers are more expensive than red ones ;)
Do radio waves disturb matter?
Radio waves will disturb matter which is more or less on the order of magnitude of the wavelength of the waves.
Does your body emit radio waves?
Our eyes cannot sense radio waves. Although radio waves, visible light waves, X-rays and gamme rays are all part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum, our eyes are only equipped to detect the part of the spectrum known as visible light.
What travels faster radio waves or ultraviolet waves?
neither... they both are electromagnetic waves and therefore travel at the same speed... but ultraviolet waves have a higher frequency and also have more energy than radio waves
Which is more dangerous Visible waves or microwaves?
Microwaves. Tburn or cook from inside out.
Would microwaves have a high or low penetrating ability relative to other em waves?
microwaves are more penetrative than gamma rays, UV radiation and visible light, but less so than radio waves.
What kind of electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of 1Cm?
That is infra red. Scroll down to related links and look at "Radio and light waves in a vacuum".
What are infa-red waves used for?
Infrared waves are special waves that helps you get rid of wrinkles.
What is the difference between infrared waves and microwaves?
Microwaves are electromagnetic waves that occur on the EMR (Electromagnetic Radiation) scale above radio/tv waves and below infrared and visible light waves. They are used in cooking devices (microwave oven) and as carrier waves for cell phone and other communication devices. In other words, a "microwave" is a type of electromagnetic radiation (like visible light waves, tv waves and so on), and a "microwave oven" is a cooking device that uses microwaves to heat foods by stimulation of the water molecule. See the link below and read the answer posted to the related question for more.
How the wave lenght and radio vary from gamma rays?
Radio waves; microwaves; infrared; visible light; ultraviolet; Roentgen rays (a.k.a. X-rays); gamma rays.Radio waves; microwaves; infrared; visible light; ultraviolet; Roentgen rays (a.k.a. X-rays); gamma rays.Radio waves; microwaves; infrared; visible light; ultraviolet; Roentgen rays (a.k.a. X-rays); gamma rays.Radio waves; microwaves; infrared; visible light; ultraviolet; Roentgen rays (a.k.a. X-rays); gamma rays.
Name four tpes of electromagetic wave?
radio waves, microwaves, visible light, x-rays Check out EM spectrum for more info
How are microwaves different from radio waves?
"Microwave" is the loose term used to describe the higher-frequency portion of the general category of radio waves. The closest thing to a formal definition says that "microwave" is anything with a frequency higher than 3 GHz (wavelength less than 10 centimeters).
Why are microwaves good for transmitinginformation?
Microwaves have short wavelengths than radio waves, between 1 millimeter and 30 centimeters. These short wavelengths makes that microwaves can transmit along a range of frequencies without causing signal interference or overlap. In other words: the wavelength separation between two different stations can be much smaller than is the case for radio waves, meaning that you can have *more* transmitters without causing problems.
What type of waves of electomagnetic waves?
When you listen to the radio, watch TV, or cook dinner in a microwave oven, you are using electromagnetic waves. Radio waves, television waves, and microwaves are all types of electromagnetic waves. They differ from each other in wavelength. Wavelength is the distance between one wave crest to the next. For more info, click the link below.
Do radio waves have more energy then microwaves?
Nope. Radio waves have a long wavelength, which causes them to carry little energy. For future questions about energy and waves, use the formula E=h(c/lambda). E is the energy of the wave, h is plank's constant, c is the speed of light (3x10^8), and lambda is the frequency. Have fun! ^_^
Which one is higher energy gamma waves ultra violet waves microwaves radio waves?
The smaller the wavelength (high frequency), the higher the energy. So gamma has the highest energy, followed by x-rays, UV, visible, infrared, microwaves, radio, in descending order. This is also why green laser-pointers are more expensive than red ones ;)
