The melted chocolate bar that led to the microwave
The microwave oven started with an accident.
Before you read
In 1945, an engineer who works on radar finds something strange in his pocket. This text tells how that small accident led to the first microwave oven, and why the first ovens did not sell well.
Key words: bolsillo · ondas · horno · palomitas
A2 · Mexican Spanish: La barra de chocolate que se derritió
The chocolate bar that melted
Tap a word. Hold and slide to select a phrase.
En 1945, Percy Spencer trabajaba como ingeniero en la empresa Raytheon. Durante una investigación sobre el radar, probaba un tubo llamado magnetrón. Un día notó algo raro: la barra de chocolate que llevaba en el bolsillo se había derretido.
Show English
In 1945, Percy Spencer worked as an engineer at the Raytheon company. During research on radar, he was testing a tube called a magnetron. One day he noticed something strange: the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted.
Spencer pensó que la causa eran las ondas del magnetrón. Para comprobarlo, puso granos de maíz cerca del tubo, y los granos se convirtieron en palomitas. Después probó con un huevo. Se calentó tan rápido que explotó.
Show English
Spencer thought the cause was the waves from the magnetron. To check, he put corn kernels near the tube, and the kernels turned into popcorn. Then he tried an egg. It heated up so fast that it exploded.
Spencer diseñó una caja de metal para guardar las ondas dentro. A finales de 1946, Raytheon pidió una patente para cocinar con microondas. El primer horno de prueba se instaló en un restaurante de Boston.
Show English
Spencer designed a metal box to keep the waves inside. At the end of 1946, Raytheon applied for a patent for cooking with microwaves. The first test oven was installed in a restaurant in Boston.
En 1947 salió a la venta el primer horno de microondas. Medía 1.60 metros, pesaba 80 kilos y costaba unos 5,000 dólares. Era enorme y muy caro, así que no se vendió mucho. A las casas de Estados Unidos llegó mucho después: en 1971, menos del 1 % de los hogares tenían uno; en 1986, ya lo tenía el 25 %.
Show English
In 1947, the first microwave oven went on sale. It was 1.60 meters tall, weighed 80 kilos, and cost about 5,000 dollars. It was huge and very expensive, so it didn’t sell well. It reached American homes much later: in 1971, fewer than 1% of households had one; by 1986, 25% did.
Source: Spanish Wikipedia, “Horno de microondas” (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts only, our own wording). How we make our texts.
Published: · Text and voice prepared with AI and checked automatically.
Words from the text 14
- probaba
- was testing
- bolsillo
- derretido
- melted
- ondas
- waves
- comprobarlo
- to check it
- granos
- kernels, grains
- maíz
- corn
- palomitas
- popcorn
- huevo
- egg
- caja
- box
- patente
- patent
- horno
- oven
- pesaba
- it weighed
- hogares
- homes, households
Check yourself
What did Percy Spencer notice while he was testing the magnetron?
- The chocolate bar in his pocket had melted
- His radar had stopped working
- The tube was making popcorn by itself
Show the answer
Answer: The chocolate bar in his pocket had melted
The text says «la barra de chocolate que llevaba en el bolsillo se había derretido» (the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted).
What happened to the egg?
- It cooked slowly
- It exploded
- Nothing happened to it
Show the answer
Answer: It exploded
The text says «Se calentó tan rápido que explotó» (it got hot so fast that it exploded).
Why didn’t the first microwave oven sell well in 1947?
- It could only make popcorn
- It was only sold in Boston
- It was huge and very expensive
Show the answer
Answer: It was huge and very expensive
The text says «Era enorme y muy caro, así que no se vendió mucho» (it was huge and very expensive, so it did not sell much).
Practice the words
Think of the meaning, then turn the card.
- probabawas testing
Durante una investigación sobre el radar, probaba un tubo llamado magnetrón.
During research on radar, he was testing a tube called a magnetron. - bolsillopocket
Un día notó algo raro: la barra de chocolate que llevaba en el bolsillo se había derretido.
One day he noticed something strange: the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. - derretidomelted
Un día notó algo raro: la barra de chocolate que llevaba en el bolsillo se había derretido.
One day he noticed something strange: the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. - ondaswaves
Spencer pensó que la causa eran las ondas del magnetrón.
Spencer thought the cause was the waves from the magnetron. - comprobarloto check it
Para comprobarlo, puso granos de maíz cerca del tubo, y los granos se convirtieron en palomitas.
To check, he put corn kernels near the tube, and the kernels turned into popcorn. - granoskernels, grains
Para comprobarlo, puso granos de maíz cerca del tubo, y los granos se convirtieron en palomitas.
To check, he put corn kernels near the tube, and the kernels turned into popcorn. - maízcorn
Para comprobarlo, puso granos de maíz cerca del tubo, y los granos se convirtieron en palomitas.
To check, he put corn kernels near the tube, and the kernels turned into popcorn. - palomitaspopcorn
Para comprobarlo, puso granos de maíz cerca del tubo, y los granos se convirtieron en palomitas.
To check, he put corn kernels near the tube, and the kernels turned into popcorn. - huevoegg
Después probó con un huevo.
Then he tried an egg. - cajabox
Spencer diseñó una caja de metal para guardar las ondas dentro.
Spencer designed a metal box to keep the waves inside.
