Re: [Phys-l] magnetized silverware in restaurants

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

At 12:11 PM 4/23/2006, Mike M., you wrote:
> A former student emailed me to inquire about why a fair amount of
> silverware in restaurants seems to be magnetized. (He lives in the
> Seattle area now.)  I'm not sure how he noticed, except perhaps
> balancing a fork on a spoon and seeing it attracted to a knife, or
> something like that.
>
> He thinks perhaps some new type of commercial dishwasher might be
> responsible.
>
> Any ideas (I don't have any) would be welcome.
>
> Mike
>
> --
> Mike Moloney, Physics & Optical Engineering Department
> Rose-Hulman Inst of Tech, 812 877 8302
> moloney@rose-hulman.edu   http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~moloney

Percussion, thermal cycling and induction are the usual ways of
providing remanent magnetism in magnetic materials.
    I am not sure whether this effect exists in new utensils or
 appears with use though.


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!