How an Induction Cooktop Heats a Pan

Written by Studio AM.

An induction cooktop can warm a pan without a glowing burner. Beneath the glass, a coil carries a rapidly changing electric current. The current creates a changing magnetic field.

When a compatible metal pan sits above the coil, the field induces electric currents inside the pan. Electrical resistance changes their energy into heat. As a result, the pan itself becomes the heater, and food warms by contact with it. The glass can still grow hot because the pan sends heat back into it. The cooktop does not heat the pan mainly by warming the glass first.

Not every pot responds strongly to the field. Its material and construction matter. When the pan is removed, the induced currents stop. The technology transfers energy into a suitable vessel instead of using a flame or a hot coil on the surface.

Questions

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  1. Question 1 of 4

    What is the main idea of the passage?

  2. Question 2 of 4

    Why can the glass surface become hot during cooking?

  3. Question 3 of 4

    What does “induces” mean in the passage?

  4. Question 4 of 4

    Where is the cooktop's coil located?

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