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Re: [Phys-l] magnetized silverware in restaurants



Another student exercise: visit the Pottery Barn w/ a compass.

bc, wouldn't be surprised if it's the mfg'ng process.

Brian Whatcott wrote:

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!

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