Q&A for How to Magnetize Steel

It depends on the type of dinner knife. If the handle of the dinner knife is made out of steel, you could attempt to rub a magnet over it and magnetize it, but if it is stainless steel - which it usually is - it won't magnetize much. If it is iron, then you can try the same thing, however I doubt you would want to magnetize it much, I can just imagine things flying all over the dinner table.

You can magnetize an iron rod by putting one end to the ground pointing north at 45 degrees and striking the other end with a hammer.

You could rub the bar magnet over the steel strip but just in one direction (for example, from bottom to top, coming back to bottom without rubbing it on the way back). Also if you have a lot of time, you can magnetize the strip by leaving it attached to bar magnet for a few days.

Use them to magnetize something else. This will "pass" some of the magnetism along and lower the magnetivity.

There is a certain amount of resistance within a magnetizable material to becoming magnetized. Multiple strokes in one direction will pick up more alignments until all that can be picked up are aligned. If you stroke backwards, you will be reversing the ones that switched on the first stroke, and also picking up the ones that might be easier in that direction. Going back and forth will result in a lot of canceled magnetism, but also leave a bit of residual magnetism that may be in either direction.

A very powerful electromagnetic pulse, such as that caused by certain types of meteorites exploding in the atmosphere; a sustained electric current, possibly the presence of high-voltage power lines nearby; natural geological activity can create strong, localized magnetic fields. These are all very rare occurrences: Most meteorites (shooting stars) are harmless, high-power lines are kept at a distance, and natural magnetic fields are generally quite weak.

The magnetic field is created by aligning the orbitals of the magnet in the same direction. Orbitals in the same direction repel, opposites attract. You can push the orbital of a magnet out into space, making it more attractive with a Halbach Array, simultaneously weakening it on the back side. Side by side NSNS will also strengthen the pull, but not the distance. The best contact increase is done by capping the back side of the magnet with magnetic steel and bringing the edges of the magnetized steel to the surface of the front, forming a contact N-S at one surface. You can also build very strong magnets by pyramiding smaller magnets on larger ones. Stack stronger, smaller magnets on top.

Due to the fact that steel is a hard magnetic material, it becomes a permanent magnet once it is magnetized rather than becoming a temporary one.

Yes. The magnetic process is realized by currents in the same direction. An AC to DC converter outputs DC current in one direction, just like a battery. Sometimes it may be pulsed DC at a fast rate, but that is OK too, because it's all in the same direction.

Butcher's steel is not appropriate for a hardened steel cutting edge. No magnetization is needed, as no metal is removed in the process of using a butcher's steel. Steel fragments that are left on a blade from grinding or honing the edge should be carefully removed by a cloth drawn along the length of the blade without cutting the cloth of fingers.

No, you do not need to firmly attach them. You could hold the wires in place with your hands; however, you do need to have constant connection for the current. Depending on your battery, you could try using a reliable tape to secure the connection.

Yes, that's how many generators work. Sometimes a permanent magnet is replaced by an electromagnet, borrowing some of the current being generated. It requires some motion, usually rotational. For more details on the relationship between the motion, the direction of current and the magnetic flux field, search "the right hand rule for generators."