The Invention of the Microwave

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The microwave was discovered by accident by a man named Percy Spencer. While Percy was working for the Raytheon Company, Percy was trying to produce large amounts of magnetrons per day. After he learned how to produce magnetrons more efficently, he stumbled onto a new discovery. This new discovery was that magnetrons were a very quick way to heat food. Percy's discovery brought about the invention of the microwaves we use in our homes today.

In 1941 magnetrons were being produced at a rate of 17 per day. Percy wanted to create a more efficent was to manufature magnetrones. So he then developed a magnetron that replaced pricision copper bars with lamina and replaced internal wires with a solid ring. These improvements allowed a production of 2,600 magnetrons per day.

In 1945, Percy was touring one of the labs at Raytheon were there were magnetrons or power tubes.

Percy breifly stopped in front of one of the powertubes when he noticed a unusal sinsation. Percy then dicovered that the chocolate candy he had in his pocket had melted. Percy was a man who had already had several patents in his career, so he knew how to test his new theory. Percy then went and got unpopped popcarn and proceeded to try and get it pop and it did. percy then relized that magnetrons heated food, which then lead to the makings of the first microwave.

The first microwave was the 1161 Radarange, which was marketed in 1954. It was much to big and expensive, weighting about 750 pounds. This microwave was only used in resturants, railroad carts, and ocean liners until Raytheon made improvments. In 1967, Amana, a division of Raytheon, introduced its Radarange microwave oven that was used in homes all over. By th early 70's the...