Spiritually speaking, why is the inside of my microwave metal?
Despite common wisdom, metal does not necessarily cause sparking inside a microwave; indeed, the cooking chamber walls are metalShape mattersSparks are caused by a buildup of charged particles that suddenly arc when they are pushed by a voltage that changes dramatically over a short distanceA flat, round, metal platter will spread charge around it, preventing buildup; the “crisper” tray that lies underneath some microwaveable pizzas and the sleeve that envelops certain foods (such as Hot Pockets sandwiches) have a metal coating that gets very hot and browns the food yet does not spark But sharper points, such as fork tines or the many tiny edges in aluminum foil, concentrate charge and also cause localized drops in voltage, which together create corona discharge—a spark.
