Plasma in a Microwave

Lighting a matchstick, bringing in contact grape hemispheres, or an aluminium foil in a microwave can produce hot glowing plasma which can be tamed in an inverted borosilicate beaker. Basically, microwave radiation when irradiated on sharp edges of metal surfaces produces intense heat due to the accumulation of charges in the corners, which then builds up to a high voltage to ionize the surrounding air molecules further to produce a hot - dense state of matter: Plasma. The charges accumulate due to vibration in a specific frequency, termed as the Resonant frequency where the amplitude of vibrations is maximum which has very high energy and tend to ionise the air molecules, creating plasma.

A working microwave, Aluminium Foils/ Matchsticks, A Borosil beaker, Camera

Due to a metal mesh acting as a Faraday cage, recording with clarity is usually hard. Hence the back of the microwave can be drilled to make a small hole (about 1cm) which doesn't allow penetration of the wavelengths of the microwave which are about 12 cm. The camera can be set up outside the hole, and the focus to be adjusted appropriately.

Take a small piece of the aluminium foil, considerably with sharp edges and place it on the rotating motor of the microwave, after removing the tray.

Place an inverted Borosil beaker over the foil, and start the microwave, keeping the 30-sec function. A Glowing Plasma ball appears and is contained on the top of the beaker, and appears to be a CGI ball.

Warning: Do not keep the beaker non-rigid, since the plasma may escape and damage the metal components of the interior of the microwave

Light some matchsticks and place them on the rotating plastic fins of the microwave and cover them with an inverted Borosil beaker. Now turn on the 30-sec function, and observe the plasma fireball being generated and begin to glow intensely.