Did I not explain it very well?
 

In article ,
Bill Wright wrote:

I even showed him a copy of the EM spectrum chart and pointed out where
microwaves were at the medium-high end of radio waves in comparison to IR
from his regular oven and radiation way over yonder beyond UV.

But radioactivity is ionising radiation. It won't appear on an EM
spectrum chart.

Sufficiently energetic EM waves are ionizing - in particular, X-rays
and gamma rays. ("Energetic" in this context means the energy of
the photons, which depends entirely on their wavelength.)

The other common form of ionizing radiation is energetic particles
such as beta particles (electrons) and alpha particles (helium
nucleii), which as you say will not appear on the EM specturm.

If someone is concerned about "radioactivity" from microwave ovens,
then showing them that microwave radiation is of much longer
wavelength (lower energy) than X-rays and gamma rays is quite
appropriate, though probably also futile.

-- Richard

Did I not explain it very well?
 

In article ,
Richard Tobin wrote:
In article ,
Ian Field wrote:

Think lots still do by all these dummy plugs you see around...

AFAIK those were originally intended to stop kiddies sticking things in
the holes.

Many of them have the disadvantage that an enterprising child can
unplug them and then put them back upside down using just the earth
pin, thus unshielding the live and neutal.

Most decent sockets have a rather more sophisticated shutter system than
the type operated by just the earth pin

--
*"I am " is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Did I not explain it very well?
 

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Most decent sockets have a rather more sophisticated shutter system than
the type operated by just the earth pin

Really? Ours don't. How do they work?

One hopes than an RCD would make the question less important.

-- Richard

Did I not explain it very well?
 

On Saturday, March 26th, 2011 at 00:11:49h +0000, Richard Tobin suggested:

If someone is concerned about "radioactivity" from microwave ovens ...

But what about radioactivity from smoke alarms? ;)

http://www.straightdope.COM/columns/read/212/is-my-household-smoke-detector-emitting-radioactive-rays

Did I not explain it very well?
 

On Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:44:18 +0000, Bill Wright
wrote:

Ian Field wrote:

As I remember it, most coffin dodgers feared that a light socket switched on
with no bulb in it would leak electricity and poison them like gas.

I knew a Hungarian car mechanic who refused to have a microwave oven because
he thought it was radioactive!

I even showed him a copy of the EM spectrum chart and pointed out where
microwaves were at the medium-high end of radio waves in comparison to IR
from his regular oven and radiation way over yonder beyond UV.

But radioactivity is ionising radiation. It won't appear on an EM
spectrum chart.

Gamma rays from radioactive decay are EM. They're up there beyond
X-Rays. Both X- and Gamma rays are ionizing.

Wikipedia gallops through the topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_radiation

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

Did I not explain it very well?
 

In article , J G Miller wrote:

If someone is concerned about "radioactivity" from microwave ovens ...

But what about radioactivity from smoke alarms? ;)

Better be sure not to put them in the microwave!

-- Richard

Did I not explain it very well?
 

In article ,
Richard Tobin wrote:
Most decent sockets have a rather more sophisticated shutter system than
the type operated by just the earth pin

Really? Ours don't. How do they work?

Two shutters that need both line and neutral pins inserted at the same
time to clear them. To allow the use of low current two pin shaver etc
plugs.

One hopes than an RCD would make the question less important.

Indeed - but of course still plenty of places without them.

--
*Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Did I not explain it very well?
 

Richard Tobin wrote:
In article ,
Bill Wright wrote:

If someone is concerned about "radioactivity" from microwave ovens,
then showing them that microwave radiation is of much longer
wavelength (lower energy) than X-rays and gamma rays is quite
appropriate, though probably also futile.

They'd say, "But I'm not worried about X Rays, and I've never heard of
gamma rays, what worries me is radioactivity like you get from bombs and
power stations. That's not X Rays is it?"

And you'd wish you hadn't bothered.

Bill

Did I not explain it very well?
 

Richard Tobin wrote:
In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Most decent sockets have a rather more sophisticated shutter system than
the type operated by just the earth pin

Really? Ours don't. How do they work?

One hopes than an RCD would make the question less important.

Never rely on an RCD. I've heard of people having scary shocks and the
RCD not tripping. Maybe an RCD would cut the power off if you were
getting a really bad shock, but it might not be fast enough to save you.
I think RCDs are a 'desperate last resort' thing.

I'm saying this because I've heard people airily dismiss the dangers of
using electric garden equipment in wet conditions on the grounds that
there's a RCD.

Bill

Did I not explain it very well?
 

Peter Duncanson wrote:

Gamma rays from radioactive decay are EM. They're up there beyond
X-Rays. Both X- and Gamma rays are ionizing.

I welcome this information because it provides me with a very rare
opportunity to admit that I am wrong.

Bill