INTERESTING FACT!!
Iron exposed to only pure water will
not rust!!
Krisha Singla
RUSTING
REVELATIONS
CHEMISTRY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Head of School, Ms. Kavitha and Academic
Head, Ms. Girija for providing me with the opportunity to undertake this project.
I am also deeply thankful to my teacher, Ms. Aparna Ram, for her constant encouragement
and patience. Her expertise and guidance have been instrumental in helping me understand the
concepts and complete this project successfully.
SA 2 Project – Rusting Revelations
INTRODUCTION:
Rust, that flaky orange-brown coating on iron, is a common sight. It weakens iron and can
eventually destroy it. But what exactly causes rusting? This project aims to explore the
conditions necessary for rust to form, focusing on the roles of oxygen, moisture, and impurities,
using simple household materials.
AIM:
To investigate the conditions required for iron to rust, specifically the roles of oxygen,
moisture, and the influence of substances like salt and chalk powder.
PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT:
I've always been curious about why some metal objects rust while others don't. I've seen old
bicycles covered in rust and wondered how it happens. I'm excited to conduct this experiment
and see firsthand what makes iron rust, especially how oxygen, moisture, and other substances
play a part.
MATERIALS REQUIRED:
4 Iron nails (of similar size and preferably uncoated)
4 airtight containers with lid
Boiling water
Tap water
Salt
Cooking oil
Dry chalk powder
Labels or markers
Camera
PROCEDURE:
1. Labeling: Label the containers as follows:
o Bottle 1: Salt Water
o Bottle 2: Tap Water
o Bottle 3: Chalk Powder (Dry) (Air only - no added water)
o Bottle 4: Boiling Water + Oil (Oxygen-restricted water)
2. Preparation:
o Bottle 1: Prepare a salt solution by dissolving a teaspoon of salt in some tap
water. Fill the bottle halfway with the salt water.
o Bottle 2: Fill halfway with tap water.
o Bottle 3: Add a small amount of dry chalk powder to the bottle, just enough
to cover the bottom.
o Bottle 4: Fill halfway with boiling water (carefully, with adult supervision).
Immediately and gently pour a thin layer of cooking oil on top of the boiling
water.
3. Adding Nails: Place one iron nail in each labelled bottle. Ensure that the nails are
submerged in the water.
Pic 1: Shows the set up for four bottles
PROOF/OBSERVATION:
Pic 2: shows bottles 1 to 4 from left to right
Bottle Condition Observation
1 Salt Water Nail shows significant rust
2 Tap Water Nail shows signs of rust at the tip
3 Chalk Powder (Dry) Nail shows no rust
4 Boiling water + Oil Nail shows no rust
ANALYSIS:
Bottle 1 (Salt Water): Rust formed quickly and extensively because salt acts as a
catalyst, speeding up the rusting process.
Bottle 2 (Tap Water): Rust formed because tap water contains both oxygen and
moisture, which are essential for rusting.
Bottle 3 (Chalk Powder - Dry): No rust is formed. While air (oxygen) is present, the
absence of moisture significantly slows down the rusting process.
Bottle 4 (Boiling Water + Oil): No rust formed. The boiling water removed much of
the dissolved oxygen, and the oil layer prevented more oxygen from dissolving from
the air.
CONCLUSION:
This experiment demonstrates that both water (moisture) and oxygen (from air) are necessary
for iron to rust. Restricting the supply of oxygen, as done with the oil layer over boiling water,
significantly inhibits rusting. Restricting the presence of moisture, as done with dry chalk
powder which absorbs moisture from the air inhibits rusting. Salt water accelerates the rusting
process in comparison to tap water., creating a slightly humid environment, although the effect
may be less pronounced than with direct water contact.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
[Link]