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Principles:
Inverse-Square Law
Waves
4. Waves have characteristic properties that do not depend on the type of wave. As
a basis for understanding this concept, students know:
Grades 9-12
Materials:
Microwave Oven
Incandescent Light Bulb
Fluorescent Light Bulb
400 mL beaker
Calculator
Procedures:
Part I.
1.
First we ask students if visible light can leave the oven, when it is turned
on. By turning on the oven for a few seconds, we can confirm their answer
by seeing that light does indeed leave the oven through the door
window.
2.
Next we ask if microwaves are the same type of wave as visible light.
3.
When students (hopefully) answer, yes, we then ask a third and final
question. Do the microwaves also leave the oven through the window?
4.
5.
6.
c=f
7.
8.
Relate the size of the microwave wavelength and visible light wavelength
to the diameter of the holes in the screen which is in the oven door. You
can do this by actually measuring the size of the holes with a ruler. If you
have access to a flexible camera that can be projected, students can clearly
see the size of the holes.
Part II.
1. Now, to examine how the microwaves generated in the oven can interfere
constructively with each other, we will place a light bulb (incandescent or
fluorescent) into a 400 mL beaker of water, so that the metal base of the bulb
is covered by water.
2. Place the beaker with the light bulb into the microwave oven in the middle of
the oven and then turn on the oven for about 8-10 seconds, and observe what
happens to the bulb.
3. Next, repeat the experiment, after moving the beaker closer to the edge of the
oven, and again turn on the oven for the same amount of time as before, and
again observe what happens to the light bulb.
6. How does the actual temperature increase or change, compare to the change
that you predicted? If it is not close, consider where you placed the beaker of
water in the oven.
=f
YES!
Next,
b) Are visible light waves and microwaves both a part of the
same electromagnetic spectrum?
YES! See below:
+ Visit NASA.gov
+ Science@NASA
+ IMAGERS Home
RADIO WAVES | MICROWAVES | INFRARED | VISIBLE LIGHT | ULTRAVIOLET | X-RAYS | GAMMA RAYS
700 nm
400 nm
Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these
waves as the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has
the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all the waves
are seen together, they make white light.
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/visible.html
visible microwave
light
light
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/images/EM-spectrumth.jpg
Last Question:
c) If visible light waves and microwaves are in fact a
part of the same electromagnetic spectrum, then why
dont we worry about microwaves leaving the oven
just like light does?
c = 3 x 108 meters/second or
miles/second)
(186,000
3x108 m/s
= 0.12 m or 12
2450 x 106 Hz
So, we see from this that the microwaves are about
120 times longer in wavelength than the diameter of
the holes in the oven door, (120 mm/1 mm) and
therefore should not be able to pass through the door,
as light can.
Part II. Can We See Where Are The Microwaves?
How can we really see that microwaves are being
produced in a microwave oven? We learned in the
previous question, that food must have polar water in
it, in order to heat the food. And we can taste the hot
food after being warmed, but is there anything else that
Here are some other videos from the Web that you can watch!
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~vawter/PhysicsNet/QTMovies/Inductance/Bulb-inMicrowaveMain.html
The first video below shows the importance of the beaker of water.
http://hackedgadgets.com/2007/01/07/light-bulb-in-microwave/
value to an energy value: 1,000 Watts x 1 Joule/sec per Watt = 1,000 Joules/sec
If we turn on the microwave oven for, lets say, 50 seconds, then this corresponds
to 1,000 Joules/sec x 20 seconds or 20,000 Joules of energy being output by the
microwave oven.
This means that if we heat water with this amount of energy, then the water
should absorb 50,000 Joules of energy. This can then tell us how much the
temperature of the water should increase.
For example, if you were to measure 400 mL of water and place it into a beaker,
we can calculate and predict how much the temperature of the water should
increase, if it absorbs 50,000 Joules of energy from the microwave oven.
Since Q = Specific Heat of Water x mass of water x temperature, we can
calculate the t as 20,000 Joules/1 calorie per gram-degree x 400 mL x 1
gram/mL
which is then a 50 C temperature change. So if the water begins at 25, then its
final temperature should be 75.
So next we actually measure the waters initial temperature and then place the
beaker into the microwave oven and heat it up for 20 seconds. When it is finished, we
measure its final temperature and see if it has risen by 50 C.
CC
The experiment described above, was first done by James Prescott Joule who
discovered a principle known as the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat.
1.
http://www.hps.org/hpspublications/articles/microwaveovens.html
2.
http://www.lessemf.com/mw-stnds.html
The answer above, relates directly with the California State Physics
Standard for Heat and Thermodynamics:
Thermal energy (commonly called heat) consists of random motion
http://www.csun.edu/science/standards/science/physics_standards.html
3.
#3
#4
This microwave detection experiment did not work because when the microwave
oven was turned on, the t.v. that was connected to the microwave receiver, showed
lines moving on the screen, even when the detector was not next to the oven. This
may be due to the fact that they were on the same electrical circuit.
References
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/visible.html
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/images/EM-spectrum-th.jpg
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/LindseyTannenbaum.shtml
http://www.hps.org/hpspublications/articles/microwaveovens.html
http://www.lessemf.com/mw-stnds.html
http://www.csun.edu/science/standards/science/physics_standards.html
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~vawter/PhysicsNet/QTMovies/Inductance/Bulb-inMicrowaveMain.html
http://hackedgadgets.com/2007/01/07/light-bulb-in-microwave/
http://www.physchem.co.za/Heat/Graphics/Heat27.gif
hula-hoop and one student can fit through it, but ten joined
together can't.?
Or just have a
student help you or check to see you are really putting a light
bulb in the microwave.
Great
job though!
Cheers,
Kali
I love the hula hoop idea from Kali, by having students step
through the hula hoop to help them see the concept of light
waves being able to fit through the holes in the microwave
door just like a person fitting through a hula hoop.
I did not realize that my voice is monotone and having a
more exited voice will help me.
************************************************************
[Message 17 from Dora Preminger in course SED525S METH TCH
SCIENCE - Herr (14922
- Fa07)]
interesting!
maybe leave out the Nlogy with the weight and pulley? I thought
it was confusing.
explain better why the bulbs light up
I see now that I tried to put too much into it and taking
out the analogy with the weight and pulley will help to
allow more time to better explain why the bulbs light up.
************************************************
[Message 15 from Juan Velazquez in course SED525S METH TCH
SCIENCE - Herr (14922
- Fa07)]
Dean, excellent job, I need to try it out at home (real life
application bonus points!).
Before
explaining it I would go straight into the demo to further engage
the students.
At the end
Arlena
Afrodita
cup of water over and over again is a very good way to superheat
it, and
so you might want to remind your audience not to use the same
water when
they try it at home, etc.
HiGreat Job!
When introducing Mega- try remind students of Mega byte (MB)
with
computers. Many of them actually know how they relate to kB and
GB from
experience even if they don't know the factors involved.
I'll definitely use this with my students... I just need to find
a
microwave oven that the teachers won't miss a few hours...
My thanks,
Jenny Witman
Stop
Good job.
Denise
You did a great job explaining all the concepts! I was very
intrigue
because you used an everyday item, which will be great for
students.
Great job getting them hooked.
I liked how you broke it up into 3 clear parts. This makes it
much
easier for students to follow along. Plus, you did assessments
throughout the demo, which can be a good way to gauge the
understanding.
You had great applications to everyday life and things in our
class.
For a high school science class, it would be great to come up
with more
applications to students' lives.
There was a lot of concepts in your demo. It might be a little
hard to
cover all the concepts all in one demo. However, all three parts
were
related to each other.
Glad
- Herr
Cool presentation!
- Herr
Have you thought about doing the demo first? I have this image of the
8th graders
all
freaking out b/c they think you are going to blow up the classroom.
Then they will
be
interested in why it does not.
I see now that I tried to put too much into it and taking
out the analogy with the weight and pulley will help to
allow more time to better explain why the bulbs light up.
people believe that the food is heated from the inside out
when in fact it is heated from the outside in.
Alex gave a very good safety comment, which I should model
for my students. That is that I should change the water
every time I heat the water so that it does not get
superheated.
Glad