what do microwaves do to water

1/1/10 5:20 AMWhat do Microwaves do to Water?

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What do Microwaves do to Water?

Now let's do the same thing with awater molecule. We'll be usingelectric forces instead of magnetic

forces, so we have to replace the magnetwith an electric charge.

And that thing that looks like a mouse head is thewater?

Yep.That thing represents one molecule of water --good old H2O. The big atom is oxygen and the twolittle attached ones are hydrogen.

Click and drag on the negative charge to move it.

The water molecule rotates in the same way that thecompass needle did. But why does it rotate?

There are electric forces acting on the watermolecule that cause it to rotate when the negativecharge is brought near it.

Does the water molecule have electric charges

1/1/10 5:20 AMWhat do Microwaves do to Water?

Page 2 of 2http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/microwaves/water_rotates2.html

on it?

Yes, a water molecule has a positivelyand a negatively charged side (just likethe compass needle has a north and a

south pole). We know that like charges repeland unlike charges attract, so when thenegative charge is brought near the watermolecule, there are electric forces acting onboth ends.

If the forces are like this, it's just like asteering wheel on a car.

One side pushes, the other side pulls, and so thewheel rotates.

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