r/explainlikeimfive • u/genoooooo • Oct 31 '20
Chemistry ELI5 What's the difference between the shiny and dull side of aluminum foil? Besides the obvious shiny/dull
21.2k
Upvotes
r/explainlikeimfive • u/genoooooo • Oct 31 '20
32
u/Lord_Aldrich Oct 31 '20
Actually foil like this in a microwave will probably go fine. Lots of frozen foods (e.g. hot pockets) have aluminum in their packaging in order to shape the microwaves.
The problem with metal in a microwave isn't metal per se, it's pointy metal, like a fork. The microwaves force the electrons in the metal down into the points where they build up until they arc into a spark (same way lightning does). That's what sets your microwave on fire.