# Why doesn't the plate get hot in the microwave?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 19, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933 "2005-10-19T16:46:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933/1 "2005-10-19T16:46:13Z")

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The meat will get so hot you can’t touch it, why not the plate?

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933/2 "2005-10-19T16:57:44Z")

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Some plates will. Depends on what the plate is made out of and how much the material absorbs radio waves at the frequency the microwave oven works at (about 2.4 GHz). Water and fats tend to absorb a lot of energy at those frequencies. Glass and many common ceramics don’t. Decorative plates with metal in them (like a gold ring around the outside of the plate) can get very, very, very hot in a microwave.

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933/3 "2005-10-19T17:05:32Z")

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And, interestingly enough, the plate will eventually get hot in the nuker because of its proximity to hot foods. The hot meat will warm up the plate by conduction. A ceramic mug used to heat up, say, tea, won’t get hot from the microwaves, but sitting in there holding hot tea will get it going after a while. Curious things, these modern appliances. xo, C.

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933/4 "2005-10-19T17:16:20Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmicrowave2.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmicrowave2.html)

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**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-plate-get-hot-in-the-microwave/326933/5 "2005-10-20T12:07:25Z")

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> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> Some plates will.

Amen brother!!!

::sucks fingers where he burned it on a clay mug last night::

Grim