Name: Adrian Howden, Trisha-Lee Brightley, Khaleal Knight, Deandra Burrell, Timaro Brown
Due-Date: April 2, 2022
Grade: 11D
Subject: Integrated Science
Topic: Rusting
School: The Enid Bennett High School
Table of content
Introduction……………………………………………………………………...……………1
Problem statement……………………………………………………………………………2
Hypothesis……………………………………………………………………………………2
Aim…………………………………………………………………………………………...2
Apparatus…………………………………………………………………………………….2
Materials………………………………………………………………………………………2
Reagent……………………………………………………………………………………….2
Method………………………………………………………………………………………...3
Results…………………………………………………………………………………………4-5
Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………….6-7
Limitation…………………………………………………………………………………….8
Reflections…………………………………………………………………………………….9
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….9
Introduction
Iron is one of the widely distributed elements in nature. One of its striking characteristics is that
it undergoes rusting on combining with water, air and carbon dioxide due to which its surface
gets covered with a red brown flake coating called “RUST”. Rusting is an oxidation reaction,
which iron reacts with water and oxygen to form hydrated iron oxide. Rust is affected by
moisture and oxygen. Rust is soft and porous and it gradually falls off from the surface of iron
materials, it gradually eat up iron due to which an iron nail loses it strength. Iron nail will be
oxidised when it’s been exposed to the air for a long time and reacts with oxygen and water to
make the nail rust. Higher temperatures can speed up the rusting as well as the acidic liquid that
presents on the surface of the nail. Acid rain could be one of the sources of the acidic liquid. For
acid, the strong acid donates more protons H+ in the reaction, so the iron nail will react with the
hydrogen quicker to speed up the corrosion. The rusting forms because iron nail has been
oxidised, In this practical, four nail will place in four test tube which contain different strategies
for rusting.
Rusting is the most common form of corrosion. Corrosion is the name given to the process which
takes place when metals and alloys are chemically attacked by oxygen, water or any other
substances found in their immediate environment. The metals in the reactivity series will
corrode. If sodium and potassium were not stored under oil they would corrode very rapidly
indeed. Magnesium, calcium and aluminium are usually covered by a tin coating of oxide after
initial reaction with oxygen in the air. In this experiment we would investigate if air and water
are the major causes for a nail to rust. If any corrosion happens it will be observed.
Here is the equation for the reaction:
1
Problem statement
The nails in Mr. Brown fence rust but the ones wrapped in plastic in his tool kit did not rust. Mr.
Brown believes that the water from the rain and air cause the nails in the fence to rust. Plan and
design an experiment to find out if his claims is true.
Hypothesis
The minerals that present in rain water and oxygen cause the nail to rust, but the ones in the tool
kits which didn’t expose to water/moisture and oxygen/air did not rust.
Aim
To determine if oxygen and water are the main conditions for rust.
Apparatus
Test tubes, breaker and rubber bung
Materials
Distilled water, vegetables oil and nails
Reagent
Sodium chloride
2
Method
1. All materials and equipment were collected.
2. Four experiment conditions were prepared in a test tube labelled: Tube 1, Tube 2, Tube 3,
and Tube 4.
3. An iron nail was placed in each test tube.
4. In tube 1, the nail was immersed under tap water.
5. In tube 2, the nail was immersed under boiled distill water and a layer of vegetables oil
was poured over the water.
6. In tube 3, the nail was placed in the test tube without water while a white solid of
anhydrous calcium chloride was placed in the test tube.
7. In tube 4, the nail along with anhydrous calcium chloride was placed in a covered test
tube.
8. Observations were recorded over the seven days period.
3
Results
Conditions Days
Tubes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Analysis
A (Air Based on the
observations,
and
water) o tube one nail
significantly
increasing in
B (Water
hydrated iron
only) oxide, followed
by tube two
C nail with a
slightly
(Air
increase in
only)
hydrated iron
D oxide and tube
(Trap air) three and tube
four did not
rust throughout
the seven days
periods.
Key
No rusting
Slightly rust
Moderate rust
Severe rust
4
Here is the equation for the reaction:
Controlled Variables:
Number and size of nails
Boiling Tubes
Rubber Bung
Manipulated Variables:
Water, oxygen
Responding Variable:
Formation of rust
Expected Result:
It is expected that the tube that exposed to oxygen and water will have the most hydrated
iron oxide.
5
Discussion
Rusting is an oxidation reaction. The iron reacts with water and oxygen to form hydrated iron
oxide, which we can see as rust. Hydrated iron oxide is a red-orange colored iron oxide that is
formed by the oxidation of iron in presence of oxygen and moisture or water. This explains why
tube three and tube four don’t shows any sign of rusting because tube three was exposed to air
only and tube four nail had rubber bung to trap the oxygen in the test tube which exposed to
oxygen only. Therefore, tube one was exposed to water and air so the rusting process begin very
quickly and started increasing in hydrated iron oxide. However, in day two, tube one did slightly
rust but we observed that oil was poured in tube one by a lower school student, so we decided to
choose a new test tube, clean water and a new nail with the Same mass and height to continue the
experiment. Finally, tube two was exposed to water and slightly rust but the layer of vegetables
oil to prevent air from entering the water.
The reaction of the rusting of iron involves an increase in the oxidation state of iron,
accompanied by a loss of electrons. Rust is mostly made up of two different oxides of iron that
vary in the oxidation state of the iron atom. These oxides are:
1. Iron (II) oxide or ferrous oxide. The oxidation state of iron in this compound is +2 and its
chemical formula is FeO.
2. Iron (III) oxide or ferric oxide, where the iron atom exhibits an oxidation state of +3. The
chemical formula of this compound is Fe2O3.
Oxygen is a very good oxidizing agent whereas iron is a reducing agent. Therefore, the iron atom
readily gives up electrons when exposed to oxygen. The chemical reaction is given by:
Fe → Fe2+ + 2e–
The oxidation state of iron is further increased by the oxygen atom when water is present.
4Fe2+ + O2 → 4Fe3+ + 2O2-
Now, the following acid-base reaction occur between the iron cations and the water molecules.
Fe3+ + 3H2O ⇌ Fe (OH)3 + 3H+
The hydroxide of iron is also formed from the direct reaction between the iron cations and
hydroxide ions.
O2 + H2O + 4e– → 4OH–
Fe3+ + 3OH– → Fe (OH)3
The resulting hydroxides of iron now undergo dehydration to yield the iron oxides that constitute
rust.
7
Limitation
Precaution
The precaution that should taken in this experiment is to ensure that the nails are rust free
before use.
Source of error
The possible source of error could have occurred in tube two is during the cooling,
oxygen may have re-dissolved in the water. This mean that the tube may not have
contained only water.
Limitation
The limitation for this experiment is that air contains a very small percentage of water
vapor.
8
Reflection
The researcher has learnt that corrosion is the deterioration of material/iron/steel when oxygen
and water come in contact with them. The metals in the reactivity series will corrode to a greater
or lesser extent. Generally, the higher the metal is in the reactivity series, the more rapidly it will
corrode. The researcher has also learnt that strong acids donate more protons H+ in the reaction,
so the iron nail will react with the hydrogen quicker to speed up corrosion. Learning about
corrosion makes it possible for us to understand how to prevent metals such as iron from
corroding. To protect iron and it alloys from rust, the surface needs to be separated from oxygen
and water. The word and chemical equations for rusting are:
4Fe + 3O2 + H2O → 2Fe2 O3
Iron + Oxygen + water → rust
Moreover, the researcher has also leant to prevent rusting involve coating the iron or mild steel
with something that stops it coming into contact with moisture and air. The method to prevent
rust are: oil and grease, painting, plastic coating, galvanishing, tinning and electroplating.
Conclusion
It can conclude that without water rusting doesn’t take place in any cases. Water acts like
catalyst in the reaction of oxidation of iron to get rusted. The conditions that necessary for iron to
rust are air (oxygen) and water (moisture).
9
Reflection
