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/sci/ - Science & Math

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10573520 No.10573520 [Reply] [Original]

I was tinkering with a pocket watch today and crushed a small piece of metal with pliers while I was trying to reshape something. This ended up magnetizing the metal, which I thought was interesting; I don't know much about magnetic fields or how they're generated though, so I figured I'd ask /sci/.

How come crushing metal magnetizes it?

>> No.10573568

>>10573520
Pure mechanical deformation won't magnetize a piece of metal. How did you test it was magnetized? Did you place it near a compass, or did you bring it near a permanent magnet? A magnet will easily magnetize a piece of iron or steel brought near it.
If it bent a compass needle without bringing it near a strong magnet, my only guess is that either the metal or the pliers were already magnetized.

>> No.10573580

Were they magnetic pliers? Some pliers are sold pre-magnetized so that it's easier to manipulate small metal pieces without dropping them by mistake

>> No.10573586

>>10573568
The crushed piece started sticking to other pieces of metal I had around, as well as to the pliers. It hadn't done that before.

>>10573580
Nope, my pliers weren't magnetized.