Which metal rusts the slowest

Remember that the more clear and accurate your observations are, the better you'll be able to draw conclusions from your experiment. Use the charts on the following section, or make your own, similar charts to keep track of what you observe during the course of your experiment. Be sure to not mix up the glasses. They'll all look very similar, so be sure that the labels remain intact and you can see them clearly.

Some observations you'll want to consider are how the changes to the metal wires immersed in the distilled water compared to the wires in the salt water. Which metals had the most rust? Was the formation of the rust on any of the wires concentrated on one particular area on the wire? Or was the corrosion distributed evenly along the immersed wire?

Based on your data, which metal would you recommend for the manufacture of bikes, beach chairs, and swing sets-not to mention aircraft and medical equipment?

Once you've recorded your results, you can draw a conclusion and identify the answer to the problem you stated at the beginning of your project. If you enjoyed this project and would like to take it a step or two further, you could try one of the following ideas:.

Use your imagination to come up with other ways to vary the project and delve a bit further into this issue. Just be sure to keep good, accurate notes. Students test a variety of metals in water and salt water to determine which corrodes the fastest with this hands-on printable science activity. Check out our collection of hands-on projects that combine math, ELA, and science concepts with 21st Century and social-emotional skills! Manage My Favorites. So What Seems to Be the Problem?

Other forms of corrosion include: Tarnish found on silver teapots, trays, and jewelry Copper carbonate, or patina, the corrosion that causes copper to turn green Discolored spots that appear on brass Aluminum oxide, which forms on aluminum Chromium oxide, which forms on the outside layer of stainless steel On some metals, corrosion actually serves as a type of protection. What's the Point? Again, the types of metal you'll be testing are: Silver Steel Zinc Copper Aluminum Your control group will be 10 pieces of wire-two each of the metals listed above.

Materials You'll Need for This Project The experiment you'll be doing will require only a short amount of time to set up, but you'll need to make observations over a day period.

You will need: 12 inches Conducting Your Experiment Make sure that you have all your materials ready before you begin the experiment. Follow these steps: Wires of different materials are suspended in distilled water and salt water.

Excerpted from. This book contains great information for different kinds of science fair projects. Buy the Book. FutureFit IN. Time-lapse experiment that's great for a unit on states of matter Students test a variety of metals in water and salt water to determine which corrodes the fastest with this hands-on printable science activity.

Looking for project-based learning? Science Projects. Lesson Plans. Featured High School Resources. Related Resources. The penny, which has been around in the United States in one form or another since , was the first currency of any t It seems at times that we are a society drowning in plastics.

Growing crystals isn't difficult, and it makes a great science fair project. Experiments in Chromatography Are all colors created equally? Oxygen is a corrosive element that rusts metal. Metal rust will not harm trees. There are a number of fungus rusts that can harm plants but they are not metal rusts. Iron rusts in the presence of Oxygen. The rust is an oxide of the base metal. The process in which metal rusts is called oxidation.

This happens usually when water is present and the oxygen can bond with the metal releasing hydrogen into the air. Metal rusts. When it rusts, the iron is oxidised and forms a hydrated lead oxide.

They're metal and metal rusts because the iron in metal oxidizes. Yes it does! Iron does. When iron rusts, oxide compounds are formed due the interaction between oxygen in the air or in water and the metal. Because of the oxygen atoms binding with the metal, the weight of the metal with rust will increase.

Iron rusts in damp air unless it is painted or protected in some other way. Iron rusts. Eats the paint and rusts the metal. This metal is iron. When metal rusts by forming a solid metal oxide with oxygen from air, the rusted solid metal weighs more. Log in. Study now. See Answer. Best Answer. Study guides. Science 20 cards. Who is known as the first African American scientist. What is Luis Alvarez's cultural background. Rust is a form of iron oxide. It occurs when iron combines with the oxygen in the air causing it to corrode.

Rust is the orange-brown discoloration that builds up on metal. Rust can affect iron and its alloys, including steel. Whenever you have iron, water and oxygen together, you get rust. The main catalyst for rust to occur is water. Although iron and steel structures seem solid to the eye, water molecules are able to penetrate microscopic gaps in the metal.

This starts the process of corrosion. If salt is present, for example in seawater, the corrosion will be more rapid. Exposure to sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide will also hasten the corrosive process. Rust causes the metal to expand, which can place great stress on the structure as a whole.

At the same time, the metal will be weakened and become brittle and flaky. Rust is permeable to air and water, so the metal beneath the rust layer will continue to corrode. Some people believe that corrosion and rust are the same. Corrosion is a broad term that covers the destruction of any metal.

In general, corrosion is the deterioration of a metal by oxidation or other chemical action. Rust is a term used to describe the actual corrosion of iron and iron alloys. However, like all metals, Aluminum is susceptible to corrosion.