Why don't the air atoms in the microwave warm up?

[Lisastronomy]

TL;DR Summary

The object you place in the microwave warm up because of the electromagnetic waves. How come the atoms of the air of the microwave do not warm up?

The object you place in the microwave warm up because of the electromagnetic waves. How come the atoms of the air of the microwave do not warm up? Or do they only feel like they haven't warmed up, or do they not absorb the energy as much as the object you place in the microwave?

 

[hutchphd]

Microwaves at 2.4 GHz couple to rotational modes of water because it has an electric dipole moment. Even the diatomic gases in air do not.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Why don't the air atoms in the microwave warm up?

They do. The microwaves warm the food and the food warms the air.

 

[ZapperZ]

Summary:: The object you place in the microwave warm up because of the electromagnetic waves. How come the atoms of the air of the microwave do not warm up?

The object you place in the microwave warm up because of the electromagnetic waves. How come the atoms of the air of the microwave do not warm up? Or do they only feel like they haven't warmed up, or do they not absorb the energy as much as the object you place in the microwave?

It's the same reason why microwave-safe containers do not get directly heated by the microwave.

Since you didn't ask about that, I'm assuming that you know why already.

Zz.

 

[Dr_Nate]

There is usually humidity in the air, and cooking food usually creates water vapor inside your microwave oven. You would think that there would be hot moisture-laden air inside the compartment.

Don't all microwave oven have fans that draw out the air from the cooking compartment during the cooking process?