In most people’s impressions, to stir – fry dishes, one needs fire, or at least a sufficient temperature for heat transfer.
However, when using an induction cooker, we find that if we place our hands on it, it doesn’t feel hot at all.
Why??? Today’s science popularization will answer this question for you.
Aluminum and copper pots are also not suitable for use on induction cookers.
Why can an induction cooker heat things from a distance? The key lies in “electromagnetic induction”!
Simply put, it means that an induced electric field is generated around a changing magnetic field.
The “heart” of an induction cooker is a large, flat coil. When it is energized, it generates a rapidly vibrating magnetic field. The changing speed of this magnetic field is extremely astonishing – it switches between positive and negative more than 20,000 times per second.
It is this high – frequency vibration that creates an invisible “energy field” above the panel.
If a conductor, such as an iron pot, is placed in this “energy field”, countless induced currents, professionally known as eddy currents, will be generated at the bottom of the iron pot.
With eddy currents and the iron pot having a certain resistance, the current will generate heat at the bottom of the iron pot, thus achieving the heating effect.
It should be noted that only when a conductor is placed in a changing magnetic field can eddy currents be generated.
Sandstone and ceramic pots are obviously not conductors, so they cannot generate heat when placed on an induction cooker.
In addition, although aluminum and copper pots are conductors, they are not ferromagnetic materials. Their magnetic permeability is too low to generate strong enough eddy currents. Therefore, they are also not suitable for use on induction cookers.
When we place our hands on an induction cooker, we don’t feel hot because our hands do not meet the two requirements of being a conductor and ferromagnetic. Eddy currents will not be generated in our hands, so they won’t be heated.
Post time: Jun-19-2025