Hi all & thanks to those who responded to my plea for assistance. I had
also sent e-mail to the author of the article and had grown impatient for
his response. I just heard from him last night. He had been at the
international science fair with one of his students who had performed a
similar experiment (chocolate chips instead of marshmallows).
I have asked the author for permission to post his response to the list,
but until I receive his permission, here is a streamlined version of his
explanation.
The hotspots are NOT anti-nodal points, and one of the most important
factors in determining hot spot length is the dielectric constant of the
material being heated. The result that hot spot distance for the
marshmallows is the wavelength is empirical and took him over a year to
find the right material.
The end is near, here.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cherie 8-) | ==>NOTE: Our area code has changed from 317 to 765!|
Cherie Bibo Lehman Physics Teacher
cblehman@ecn.purdue.edu West Lafayette Jr-Sr High School
(w)765-775-1300 1105 N. Grant St.
(fax)765-775-1375 W. Lafayette, IN 47906