What happens when you put a penny in the microwave

About this rating. Do not put metal in a microwave oven. It's a simple and important rule many people learn at a young age. But apparently it bears some repeating.

But some social media users are contradicting that, claiming microwaving a coin will shrink it. It's a claim that is both wrong and dangerous. It's part of a long-running prank on various social media platforms, where posters try to trick others into attempting the potentially dangerous action. The image is a screenshot of a tweet, but the username and date have been cut off. The tweet featured an image of the purported shrunken coin next to a regular-sized penny. According to Snopes, the image originated in November on Twitter, but the original account has been suspended. A screengrab of the tweet posted on Reddit shows it had been retweeted more than 11, times within one week of posting.

What happens when you put a penny in the microwave

It's a lesson even the worst home cooks hopefully know: Putting metal in the microwave is a recipe for disaster. Thanks to a viral image circulating on the web, some people may be tempted to ignore this piece of common sense in the name of experimentation. The picture shows one normal-sized penny next to three smaller pennies with the caption: "This is what happens when you put a penny in a microwave for 2 minutes. Microwave ovens heat food by bouncing microwaves around a metal box. Certain molecules, like the molecules in your leftovers, absorb these waves via dielectric loss and convert them into heat. Not all substances are compatible with microwaves, however. Metal contains high concentrations of electrons, and when microwaves hit a metallic surface, these electrons become very active and block the wave's path. Instead of absorbing into the metal, the microwaves bounce off, which can cause electrical sparks. Sometimes these sparks are strong enough to burn a hole in the oven's walls and damage the electronic equipment. Even if you could somehow shrink coins in a microwave, the science explained above should be reason enough to resist the urge to try it at home. Anyone who tries the experiment against their better instincts will be disappointed. The photo that's been shared on social media is a hoax, with Snopes explaining that the smaller pennies likely originated in a magician's trick kit. The post inspired some people to share false claims of their own. One response to the image showed a melted microwave that had allegedly fallen victim to the penny trick.

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About this rating. Do not put metal in a microwave oven. It's a simple and important rule many people learn at a young age. But apparently it bears some repeating. In November , a potentially dangerous prank started to circulate on social media in the form of before-and-after photographs. Twitter user riikerton posted a picture of a regular-sized penny and a picture of a much smaller penny and claimed that the coin had shrunk after it was put in a microwave for about two minutes:. These pictures do not show a microwaved penny, as pennies will not shrink if you put them in as microwave oven.

What happens when you put a penny in the microwave

Apr 23, advice , education 3 comments. Image from Reddit. Microwaves work by shooting electrons at whatever it finds.

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However, those claiming that putting a penny in a microwave will cause it to explode are also exaggerating. Campbell, Leah. Fact check: Viral image misrepresents the electoral process. In November , a potentially dangerous prank started to circulate on social media in the form of before-and-after photographs. When this happens, it will result in arcing inside your microwave, from that metal to another electrical conductor with lower potential often the wall of the microwave. About this rating. Claim: A set of "before-and-after" pictures shows a penny that shrank after it was put in a microwave. When the energy waves come into contact with metallic materials, it creates sparks due to the high temperature, also known as arcing. But apparently it bears some repeating. Even if you could somehow shrink coins in a microwave, the science explained above should be reason enough to resist the urge to try it at home. In reality, the years-old picture came from a blogger who set their microwave on fire accidentally while heating a pot of oil. And it could cause harm to the microwave, potentially starting a fire. According to Snopes, the image originated in November on Twitter, but the original account has been suspended. Home U.

It's a lesson even the worst home cooks hopefully know: Putting metal in the microwave is a recipe for disaster.

A microwave is a magnetron "hooked up to a high voltage source. Campbell, Leah. This picture does not show a kitchen destroyed from a microwaved penny. The pictures likely feature a miniature penny prop, such as the one seen in the following picture from a magician trick set:. But some social media users are contradicting that, claiming microwaving a coin will shrink it. Do not put metal in a microwave oven. Sometimes these sparks are strong enough to burn a hole in the oven's walls and damage the electronic equipment. My Profile. It's part of a long-running prank on various social media platforms, where posters try to trick others into attempting the potentially dangerous action. If put in the microwave, the coins will start to spark, but they won't shrink. Microwaves have a magnetron inside that converts the electric power it receives from the wall plug into very short radio waves, according to the U.