What frequency does a microwave operate on?

Following international conventions, microwave ovens at home or in restaurants operate at frequencies of about 2.45 GHz , i.e. λ = 12. 23 cm. Figure 1 depicts a typical microwave oven (many details can be found in [1–3]). Microwaves are generated in a magnetron which feeds via a waveguide into the cooking chamber.

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Why do microwave ovens operate at 2.45 GHz?

They’d been around commercially since 1947. And generally, they operated at a specific frequency: 2.45 GHz. Despite heavy shielding, microwave ovens’ powerful emissions could sometimes interfere with neighboring frequencies, so it was decided that they should be given a few megahertz of space in both directions .

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