In the last 25 years, the microwave oven has become a standard kitchen appliance. Its most obvious feature is that it heats food far more quickly than a conventional oven. Exactly how does a microwave oven work and

Among the things you may wish to include your report are:

• A description of microwaves in general and particularly those used for cooking.
• How are microwaves generated.
• What are cost considerations.
• are there health issues related to microwave ovens.
• How viable are home generator units?

The following sites will get you started:

• You might wish to start with a history of microwaves (by J. Carlton Gallawa) that also contains a FAQ section.

• The Basic theory of Operation also by J. Carlton Gallawa.

• A brief discussion of how the microwave oven cooks.

• A good Q & A on microwaves by Louis A. Bloomfield, Professor of Physics, at The University of Virginia.

• Microwave Oven Radiation Safety from the Washington State Department of Health .

• And for fun, try the Microwave Experiments page from the Ohio State University Physics Dept. The picture above is from another fun page by We-Mani.

Standard search engines for your own search.

• All The Web

• Lycos

• Ask Jeeves

• Yahoo

• Alta Vista