If a potato is placed on a pure paper plate which is white and unprinted and put in a microwave oven, the potato heats up but the paper plate does not. This is because

1. Microwave ovens generate heat by emitting microwaves, which cause polar molecules within food to rotate rapidly. 2. Water molecules (H2O) are highly polar and strongly absorb microwave energy, leading to efficient heating (dielectric heating). 3. A potato has a significant water content. These water molecules absorb the microwaves, causing the potato to heat up. 4. A pure paper plate is primarily made of cellulose, which contains much less free water than a potato. 5. Because the paper lacks sufficient water, it does not absorb microwave energy effectively and therefore does not heat up significantly. 6. Option (C) correctly identifies the presence of water in the potato and its relative absence in the paper as the reason for differential heating.