• 11 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Microwave

A microwave's front, and the same oven opened up to show how it makes microwaves.

Parts of a Microwave

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Door
  2. Window (with mesh)
  3. Control panel
  4. Cavity (cooking chamber)
  5. Turntable
  6. Magnetron
  7. Waveguide
  8. High-voltage transformer
  9. High-voltage capacitor
  10. High-voltage diode
  11. Door interlock switches

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the stove beside it

All 11 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 6 main parts 6

  1. Door Seals the oven; the oven cannot run while it is open.
  2. Window (with mesh) Glass with a metal mesh behind it that keeps the microwaves in.
  3. Control panel Sets the time and power; holds the display and keypad.
  4. Cavity (cooking chamber) The metal box the food cooks in; it keeps the microwaves inside.
  5. Turntable Turns the food so it heats more evenly.
  6. Magnetron Makes the microwaves from high-voltage power.

How it makes microwaves 5

  1. Waveguide Carries the microwaves from the magnetron into the cavity.
  2. High-voltage transformer Raises mains power to the high voltage the magnetron needs.
  3. High-voltage capacitor With the diode, doubles the transformer's voltage for the magnetron.
  4. High-voltage diode Lets current through one way only, with the capacitor.
  5. Door interlock switches Cut the power to the magnetron whenever the door opens.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Wikipedia, Microwave oven, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven : the cavity magnetron; a short waveguide coupling the magnetron's power into the cooking chamber; a high-voltage transformer and a voltage doubler (a high-voltage capacitor plus a diode); the door window with a layer of conductive mesh; the turntable for more even heating; the control panel; redundant safety interlocks that remove power from the magnetron when the door opens; the chamber works like a Faraday cage. (2) Sharp microwave oven service manual, model YC-PC254AE-S, https://s3fs-sogedis.s3.eu-west-3.amazonaws.com/sogedis_pdf/codespanne/SHARP_YC-PC254AE-S_SM_web.pdf : door safety lock system, oven window, control panel, display, oven cavity, waveguide cover, glass tray, roller ring, turntable coupling, ventilation openings; magnetron, high-voltage transformer, high-voltage capacitor, high-voltage rectifier, waveguide, fan motor, turntable motor, oven lamp. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a microwave oven on two drawings: the front with the door closed, and the oven opened up. Start with the 6 main parts, then the parts that make and guide the microwaves.

Read the full guide

What you see

You set the time and power on the control panel and watch through the window, whose metal mesh keeps the microwaves in. Food sits in the cavity on the turntable, which turns so it heats more evenly.

How it works

The transformer raises mains power to a high voltage; with the capacitor and diode it feeds the magnetron, which makes the microwaves. The waveguide carries them into the cavity. Door interlock switches cut the power when the door opens.

  • Never open a microwave's case yourself: service manuals tell technicians to discharge the high-voltage capacitor first, as it can hold a charge.

Questions and answers

What part of a microwave makes the microwaves?

The magnetron. A high-voltage transformer, capacitor and diode power it, and a short waveguide carries its microwaves into the cooking cavity.

Why does a microwave door have a mesh?

The metal mesh behind the glass keeps the microwaves inside the oven while still letting you see the food.

Why does a microwave stop when you open the door?

Door interlock switches cut the power to the magnetron whenever the door is opened or not latched.

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