4 ms·
Summary of Video: In a microwave oven, resonance between two grapes can ionize the air, creating plasma. The wavelength of 2.45GHz microwaves = 12cm, but the g
by pgt 8y ago
Summary of Video:
In a microwave oven, resonance between two grapes can ionize the air, creating plasma. The wavelength of 2.45GHz microwaves = 12cm, but the grape's refractive index of ~10 slows down the wave 10x, decreasing the wavelength to about 1.2cm...about the size of a grape. This causes resonance at the center of each grape, just like you can hear "boomy" bass in certain parts of a room.
When two grapes touch, this creates a mode (or standing wave) between them, which builds up enough energy to ionize the air, allowing electrons to flow. If you look at the plasma spectrum, you can see spikes for the sodium (Na) and potassium (K) ions in the grapes.
SCIENCE, BIATCH!
- blattimwind 8y agoIt wasn't exactly a huge mystery what was happening there, but it's always nice when someone makes the longform explanation.
- msravi 8y agoThe EM wave should just bounce around inside the grape because of total internal reflection and the high refractive index, right? Is this what is being termed as "resonance"?
- chicob 8y agoLet's just call it raisinance.
- analog31 8y agoIt's a grape MASER. ;-)
- pault 8y agoA resonance cascade?
- turc1656 8y agoI would hesitate to speculate. Only Dr. Freeman has the first hand experience to weigh-in definitively on complex quantum events like a resonance cascade.