How much do microwaves heat food by?

So, microwaves are just high-frequency electromagnetic waves, and your microwave oven creates a high-intensity electromagnetic field to cook your food. ... read more

"Microwave ovens cook food by generating intermolecular friction between the molecules of the food. The microwaves cause water molecules to vibrate; the increased friction between the molecules results in heat. read more

Also the microwaves are not perfectly absorbed by the food so some are reflected back into the oven and heat things other than food. 63.5 seconds divided by .65 gives close to 100 seconds to boil 6 ounces of water assuming a reasonable efficiency number. read more

Microwaves heat water by jerking the water molecules around, so to speak. Each water molecule has a slight positive electric charge on one side and a slight negative charge on the other. As microwaves pass by, they exert forces on those charges, first one way, then the other, several billion times per second. read more