The discussion revolves around the thermodynamic implications of microwaving food in plastic containers, particularly focusing on the behavior of the container during heating and cooling. Participants explore the relevant thermodynamic variables and the conditions affecting them, as well as potential health concerns related to the materials used.
Participants express differing views on the thermodynamic variables at play and the implications of using plastic containers in microwaves. There is no consensus on the specific conditions or outcomes related to the microwaving process.
Participants mention various assumptions regarding the behavior of water vapor, the structural integrity of the plastic, and the potential for chemical contamination, but these assumptions remain unresolved and depend on specific conditions not fully explored in the discussion.
If it buckled inwards (and warpage of the plastic was not a problem, see SteamKing response), some mass of water vapor must have escaped from the container during the heating. If it only buckled when the container cooled down, then this is almost certainly what happened. When the container cooled, the remaining water vapor in the container mostly condensed, and this created a partial vacuum in the container. The walls were not structurally stiff enough to support the pressure difference.berra said:Hi, I just microwaved some food in a plastic container and noticed that it started to buckle inwards. So I wonder what thermodynamic variables were constant? Obviously not the volume V. The number of particles N was probably approximately constant. What more than N was constant?? What ensemble should I use if I want to do computations on this??