What happens when you put a penny in the microwave

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.

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.

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. 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. The pictures likely feature a miniature penny prop, such as the one seen in the following picture from a magician trick set:. Putting a penny in a microwave is not going to cause it to shrink. However, it may cause it to get dangerously hot and start to spark. A microwave is a magnetron "hooked up to a high voltage source. That's what causes our leftovers to heat up and our popcorn to pop. With metal, however, these waves are reflected, not absorbed, which can lead to sparking.

When microwaves are reflected instead of being absorbed, it can potentially create a sufficient charge density that the electrical potential in the metal object exceeds the dielectric breakdown of air.

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Does microwaving a penny for one minute cause it to shrink into a mini coin? No, that's not true: Metals expand when heated -- not shrink. Also, microwaving any metallic item, such as a coin, is dangerous as it can cause sparks and, ultimately, a fire. The claim appeared in a July 29, , Facebook post archived here. Above the photos of a person displaying a miniature penny and a bigger penny, the text of a cut-off screenshot of a tweet reads:. According to the U. Mint , pennies are made of zinc, coated with copper. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service describes what is seen in the video as arcing , "sparks inside the microwave oven caused when microwaves react to gold paint on dishes, twist ties, and other metallic materials.

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. The electrons create friction as it passes through the surfaces and generates heat. These electrons cannot pass through a metal surface. When you try to microwave metal, you will see sparks as the electrons skip over the metal surface. Some chefs have discovered ways of using aluminum foil to direct the electrons to use the skipping electrons to add extra heat to one area of the food.

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McCowan, David. Videos of coins being microwaved posted online show sparks appearing almost immediately after starting the microwave. In extreme cases, these electrical sparks can end up burning small holes in the metal wall. Certain molecules, like the molecules in your leftovers, absorb these waves via dielectric loss and convert them into heat. In reality, the years-old picture came from a blogger who set their microwave on fire accidentally while heating a pot of oil. This button on your microwave will give you much better cooking results. About Us. One response to the image showed a melted microwave that had allegedly fallen victim to the penny trick. Fact Check. But apparently it bears some repeating. Campbell, Leah. This picture does not show a kitchen destroyed from a microwaved penny. The image is a screenshot of a tweet, but the username and date have been cut off.

About this rating. Do not put metal in a microwave oven.

However, it may cause it to get dangerously hot and start to spark. Do not put metal in a microwave oven. About Us. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. These pictures do not show a microwaved penny, as pennies will not shrink if you put them in as microwave oven. But apparently it bears some repeating. By Dan Evon. The Food and Safety Service recommends stopping the microwave immediately if sparks occur because they can damage the oven and the metal object. When microwaves are reflected instead of being absorbed, it can potentially create a sufficient charge density that the electrical potential in the metal object exceeds the dielectric breakdown of air. Putting a coin in a microwave won't shrink it, however. However, those claiming that putting a penny in a microwave will cause it to explode are also exaggerating. Metal contains high concentrations of electrons, and when microwaves hit a metallic surface, these electrons become very active and block the wave's path. Certain molecules, like the molecules in your leftovers, absorb these waves via dielectric loss and convert them into heat. It's a simple and important rule many people learn at a young age.