What will happen if you place a wet paper towel in between the detector and the microwave source?

Question

What will happen if you place a wet paper towel in between the detector and the microwave source?
1. the microwaves be reflected back towards the paper microwave source
2.The same amount of microwaves will pass through the paper towel but will be refracted.
3. Less microwave will pass through the paper towel
4. The same amount will pass through the paper towel.

Answer 1

3, I think



Water absorbs microwaves (the frequency they use in microwave ovens, anyway)

Microwaves will be reflected by a good conductor, like a metal sheet. Wet paper is not a good enough conductor.

Nothing will change the frequency of the microwaves (at least, nothing normal. A non-linear material can act as a frequency doubler I believe)

Answer 2

I'm not quite sure on this, but this is what I think.....



Since microwaves have the ability to heat water molecules in food, i guess that the same thing happens here, i.e. the microwaves heat the water molecules in the towel.....this will result in the microwaves loosing energy when passing through the wet towel causing them to have lower speeds and leading to refraction which is answer 2)...since it is quite certain that it will loose energy, this may me reflected by a physical quantity like speed or frequency or wavelength..(im not quite sure which).

Answer 3

the answer is three. Less microwave will pass through the paper towel

Answer 4

Was interested in the answer too