Microwave Ovens

This task is about planning and doing an investigation, and collecting and interpreting results.
How to do this task

Hot spots are areas of the microwave oven that heat up more than other areas.
  • Your question to investigate is whether microwave ovens have hot spots
  • Your task is to write a plan to test whether your microwave oven has hot spots. After your teacher has seen your plan, you can carry out your investigation.
  • Equipment that you can use: microwave oven; cups; thermometers; water.
Some things to think about before writing your plan:

  • How many cups will I use?
  • Where will I put the cups inside the microwave oven?
  • How much water will I put in each cup?
  • What will the temperature of the water in the cups be at the start?
  • How long will I leave the cups in the microwave oven for?
  • What power level of the microwave oven will I use?
 
a)
 
My plan (Method):  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plan checked by the teacher:
 
 
Results
b) Now carry out your plan and record your results in the box below.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

c)
Write a sentence about what your results tell you about the microwave oven.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
d) What changes would you make to your plan if you were to carry it out again?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
e) If you were buying a microwave oven, what quality would you look for if you wanted to cook or heat food evenly?