Comically enough, many spoons put in the microwave would be fine. Not recommending you try it, but the issue comes from arcs. And spoons don't have areas where arcs can occur naturally, like a fork.
this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2025
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It also depends on the condition of the nickel plating. Scratched up cheap stainless would probably arc.
To my understanding, the arcing is caused by hard edges. E.g. all the elections could be at the end of a fork's tines, and EM field forces them to jump to another tine instead of going through the root of the fork.
Since spoons are rounded, they don't need to jump. I don't think the material plays much of a role in arcing other than providing resistance. They would heat up, but they'd melt before they arc. Still, they can arc from one spoon to another spoon when there multiple spoons close enough.
Absolutely. It’s far more likely with a fork, but deep enough or well placed scratches/gouges on a spoon could create the condition.
It's unlikely period. Electroboom did a video on it and had one hell of a hard time getting any metal to arc in the microwave, even balled up aluminum foil.
Well that just doesnt make sense, theres only been a couple times ive accidentally put metal in a microwave, but i knew it immediately when i did. I wonder if theyve made changes to the way they function.
There has been no change in the way microwaves work aside from circuit board and adding an inverter to control the power of the microwaves. Microwaves function the same as a laser pointer except the emit photons with a frequency of 2.45GHz.
Fucking cavemen and their science knowledge
I'm lazy and don't use tik tok, but from what I've seen when my spouse is on there this would make an interesting tik tok channel (is that what they are called?). Spoon Spark, where someone collects a shit ton of spoons and people take their guess on whether or not they'll spark or even start a fire. Maybe get different power levels of microwaves to increase to throughout the tournament.
The E-Waste Arc Spark competition.
That's so stupid. But also quite interesting lol
Yeah I know it uses waves towards the center but they are throughout the microwave, yet people don't questions the holes in the metal siding, which are metal circles. So if arcing was an issue on smooth sutfaces, it should happen there as well.
Yep, I have microwaved plenty of tea and coffee with the spoon in it.
Spoon or not, I'm told this is a sin.
Perhaps including silver purifies the act.
If you mean like, by the standpoint of coffee purists, then idgaf, it's shitty tasting make brain go fast water, there is no way to ruin it, how can something that tastes like shit taste more shit? It can't
I don't drink coffee and rarely tea, so you won't get any argument from me.
Lol, gottem
The contact points between the spoons will heat up and may melt or spark.
You mean like a spoon on a glass or ceramic plate? That seems unlikely.
There is even companies that make glass/stainless steel lids for their microwave safe containers. So the lids won't warp like the plastic ones do and have to be thrown away
No, he means that the small points will arch electicity, leading to more stuff
I learned this by accident while heating up some hot cocoa as a kid, haha!
But since there are multiple spoons and other metal items in the microwave, couldn't these items still arc off of one another? I don't actually know the answer, so I'm asking seriously.
Oh definitely. Individual metal smooth ball, fine. 10 of them not touching fine. 9 spoons not touching, fine. But if one touches the wall of the microwave or another of the objects there will be a quick spark, and depending on how long the contact, maybe a flame+
Caveman posted a video below that basically shows without rough edges, your usually okay https://lemmy.world/comment/18066606
Note, stainless steel and glass lids are made for microwave safe containers.
I microwave my coffee with a spoon in it every morning at work, it's fine
Don't try this at home.
Try it outside in your backyard.
try it in your neighbor's backyard, the one without a camera? there. for deniability.
What's those balls on the plate?
Ligma balls
lmao gottem
Either magnets or ball bearings. Most probably the magnets.
Sure it's terrifying, but you can start a sparky plasma show in a resilient enough container and keep it going for hours and the microwave won't break. (except maybe overheat.) The microwave will be fine as long as the arcs don't reach the waveguide cover. (which would risk burning/shorting the magnetron.)
I have done the microwave grape plasma trick myself and started an arc in a microwave. The current between the two objects goes through a very narrow point, which is enough vaporize the contact point to plasma. This then can grow as the microwave continues to pump more energy into the spark.
Not enough balls. Happy National Bomb Day America!!!
Make the foil spiky to be on the ~~safe~~ side