Technology: how are microwaves generated?
Tutoring sciences, questions about technology arise. The tutor mentions how microwaves are generated.
Within a microwave oven (for instance), how are the microwaves themselves generated? A simple answer is “from a magnetron.”
To explain more, here’s what happens:
- A cathode (negatively charged metal rod) is heated. A positively charged body, called an anode, is nearby. Electrons fly off the cathode and try to reach the anode.
- Trying to reach the anode, the electrons are contained in a magnetic field that causes them to take spiral paths.
- The anode is filled with cavities, so it has many surfaces whose charges are constantly being changed as electrons arrive.
- The constant disturbance to the electrical charges on the surfaces will result in the broadcast of microwaves if the anode is connected to an antenna.
Source:
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.