jp@lanl.ARPA (07/22/85)
> I believe the problem is solved by installing a small metal fan in the top > to scatter the microwaves. > Ethan Vishniac > > Ethan is, as usual, right. To elaborate just a little; any cavity, no > matter what the shape, will have standing waves as long as reflection at > the boundaries is large compared to absorbtion. (Just think about > conservation of energy to convince yourself of this in an approximate > way.) So the solution is to continually change the shape of the cavity. That's the idea at least. In practice you will find that some areas still cook faster/slower than others. It's not that easy to move them standin' waves around as much as you need to. Look at your manual. It probably tells you to move the food around occasionally and/or to stir it occasionally. If you don't believe me, watch a piece of pizza closely next time you reheat one in the microwave. P.S. Does anyone know why a microwave does such a number on the pizza crust (and other bread products). Seems to polymerize the gluten or something! Jim Potter jp@lanl.arpa