system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:There are warnings on my microwave that say not to run it while empty. Does anyone now why or how this damages the microwave?
gpt
The walls of the oven are designed to reflect the microwaves, intending for them to eventually be absorbed by food. But with no food, they will just keep bouncing around, eventually being reflected back at the magnetron, heating it up. The excess heat can damage it. Best case is that it blows a fuse, rendering the microwave inoperable until it's replaced. Worst case is it gets so hot to cause something like the insulation to burst into flames.