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What is the reasoning that microwaves can travel through empty space as well as through air and food?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Microwaves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and as such they do not require any physical presence to aid passage, unlike sound waves which do require a medium through which to travel.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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Which do not travel through empty space?
sound cannot travel through empty space.
Does heat travel through empty space by conduction?
No, there can't be conduction in empty space. Heat may travel through empty space through radiation, though.
Why can sound waves not travel through empty spuce?
Sound waves cannot travel through an empty space because an empty space is usually a vacuum.
Why does light travel faster through empty space than matter?
It doesn't travel faster through a vacuum. In our Universe there is no such thing as empty space.
Does radiation travel through an empty space-?
Radiation travels through empty space and substance.
Which do not travel through empty space?
sound cannot travel through empty space.
Why cant you get energy from the sun through convection?
Convection travels through matter. It won't travel through empty space.Convection travels through matter. It won't travel through empty space.Convection travels through matter. It won't travel through empty space.Convection travels through matter. It won't travel through empty space.
Does heat travel through empty space by conduction?
No, there can't be conduction in empty space. Heat may travel through empty space through radiation, though.
Why can sound waves not travel through empty spuce?
Sound waves cannot travel through an empty space because an empty space is usually a vacuum.
What can travel either travel through matter or through empty spaces.?
volume
Can travel though empty space?
Yes, you can travel through empty space. The Sun, Earth, moon, satellites, space ships, atoms, and subatomic particles all travel through empty space. Greater than 99.999% of matter is empty space.
Why does light travel faster through empty space than matter?
It doesn't travel faster through a vacuum. In our Universe there is no such thing as empty space.
Why can microwaves travel through both empty space and through air and food?
That shouldn't be too surprising when you recall that in addition to empty space, radio can travel through walls, heat can travel through air, light can travel through glass and water, and x-rays can travel through steel and bones. All electromagnetic radiation is absorbed to some extent by passing through a material medium. The amount of absorption depends on the material, and also on the wavelength of the radiation. In the case of microwave radiation at 2.5 GHz, we are very happy that some foods absorb it quite well, otherwise we couldn't cook a turkey in 3 minutes in the microwave oven. Microwaves travel through empty space unimpeded just as light. If truly empty space they should theoretically travel forever. Air is not truly empty and microwaves can interact with the air molecules, losing energy as it does so, but will still travel a great distance before being totally attenuated. However, material objects, such as food, have dielectric properties that affect the way microwaves interact with them and will attenuate them in shorter distances. While air has a relative dielectric constant of 1.0, water is 78 and beef 80 at room temperature. The microwave energy will be strongly attenuated by these materials and will travel a relatively short distance. In water, for example, 63% of the microwave energy is attenuated in 1.2 cm (< 1/2") and so will effectively about 95% absorbed in 6 cm. (the number is accurate because it doesn't take into account the change in the dielectric constant with temperature, but is good enough to demonstrate the effect.)
Does radiation travel through an empty space-?
Radiation travels through empty space and substance.
Why cant sound trave through empty space?
Why cant sound travel through empty space
Can travel only through some type of matter .can travel either through matter or through empty space?
One example would be X-Rays. They are stopped by Lead, but travel through other matter and empty space.
Which can travel through empty space out of insulator convection electomagnetic conduction or radiation?
Radiation can travel through empty space. The radiation in question is electromagnetic waves.
