Final answer:
Microwaves are produced when magnetic and electric fields are applied perpendicular to each other, forming a transverse wave through mutual induction, with wavelengths ranging from 1 mm to 1 m.
Step-by-step explanation:
Microwaves are produced when magnetic and electric fields are applied perpendicular to each other. This process occurs because electromagnetic waves, which include microwaves, are created by oscillating charges that radiate whenever they are accelerated. These oscillating charges create electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction the wave propagates, defining this phenomenon as a transverse wave.
The relationship between the electric and magnetic fields in electromagnetic waves, including microwaves, is such that the changing electric field is responsible for inducing the magnetic field and vice versa. This mutual induction allows for the propagation of electromagnetic waves.
Microwaves are a specific type of electromagnetic wave with wavelengths ranging from 1 mm to 1 m and can be produced by currents in macroscopic circuits and devices, as well as by thermal agitation from atoms and molecules in any object at a temperature above absolute zero.