Re: microwave, RF heating

["Bernard G. Cleyet & Nancy Ann Seese" <georgeann@REDSHIFT.COM>]

I suspect that the specific heat of "oil" is somewhat less than that of water.  While each
molecule of "oil" has only one OH bond as does water, its weight is much greater,
therefore the OH bond density of oils is also much lower than water's.  Evidently the
specific heat is sufficiently low to overwhelm its decreased OH bond density.
Assuming......

John Denker wrote:

> At 06:30 PM 5/28/00 -0700, John Barrer wrote:
> > I assumed JD's observation/comment described an expt
> > where equal masses of oil and water were
> > simultaneously exposed to MW radiation. That might be
> > an interesting test?
>
> Indeed I used the simultaneous-exposure technique.
>
> Key fact: The oven puts out constant power, to a reasonable approximation.
>
> Therefore if you put things in one at a time, you are not measuring their
> absorptive properties;  all you are measuring is their heat capacity -- not
> even the (intensive) specific heat but the (extensive) heat capacity.
>
> Also if you manage to find something that doesn't absorb microwaves very
> well, you might hurt the oven (depending on details that vary from model to
> model).  For similar physical reasons, you can shatter a dish that under
> normal circumstances would be "microwave safe" by putting it (alone and
> empty) into the oven.  Guess how I know.  If you're going to do experiments
> like this, always include a reasonable amount of a known absorber.