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The everyday appliances and science in your kitchen and home.

HomeHow does a microwave heat food?Microwaves make the water molecules in your food twist back and forth billions of times a second. All that motion turns into heat.

HomeHow does a refrigerator work?A refrigerator doesn’t make cold. It pumps heat out of the inside and releases it into your kitchen, using a liquid that absorbs heat as it turns into gas.

HomeWhy do onions make you cry?Cutting an onion breaks its cells and starts a chemical reaction that releases an irritating gas. When the gas reaches your eyes, they make tears to wash it away.

HomeWhy does popcorn pop?Each kernel holds a drop of water inside a tough shell. When heated, the water turns to steam and builds up pressure until the shell bursts and the soft starch puffs out into a fluffy flake.