Common Misconceptions

⚠️ Common Misconceptions

Misconception 1: "Microwaves cook food from the inside out"

Microwaves are absorbed by water molecules in food, causing them to vibrate and heat up. Penetration depth is typically only a few centimetres, so the outside heats first — the centre cooks by conduction from the hot outside layer. Microwaves do NOT pass through food to heat the centre directly.

Misconception 2: "All radiation is dangerous"

Only ionising radiation (UV, X-rays, gamma) is dangerous in the DNA-damaging sense. Radio waves and microwaves are non-ionising — they cannot break chemical bonds. Your phone emits microwave radiation, but at such low power it does not cause ionisation. The hazard from microwaves is heating, not ionisation.

Misconception 3: "Light travels through glass at the same speed as in air"

All EM waves travel at c = 3 × 10⁸ m/s only in a vacuum. In any other medium (glass, water, air), they slow down. Light in glass travels at roughly 2 × 10⁸ m/s. This slowdown is what causes refraction.