What Causes Rust

For iron to form rust, oxygen and water must be present. You can test this knowledge with an
experiment that eliminates one or more of these substances. Label three glass jars "Control,"
"No Water" and "No Oxygen." Put a tablespoon of iron filings in each jar. In the "Control" jar,
cover the filings completely with water and leave the lid off to allow oxygen to enter. In the
"No Water" jar, add a teaspoon of calcium chloride and screw on a lid. In the third jar, cover
the filings with an inch of oil; add an inch of water and watch the oil float to the top; cover this
jar with a lid. After 12 to 24 hours, you will notice rust on the filings in the first jar but not the
other two. The first jar was exposed to both water and oxygen. The calcium chloride in the
second jar removed water vapor, and the oil in the third jar prevented oxygen from reaching
the water and filings.

Accelerating Rust
Test other substances to see if they contribute to the speed at which rust forms. Place a piece
of steel wool, which contains iron, in a glass jar and cover it completely with water. This jar is
your control. Place a second piece of steel wool in a second jar, cover it with water and add a
tablespoon each of vinegar and bleach. Twelve hours later, the steel wool submerged in water,
vinegar and bleach has more rust than your control, because vinegar strips the protective
coating from the wool, and the bleach speeds up the reaction between the dissolved iron and
oxygen to form an oxide.

Reactions Emit Heat

The chemical reaction that occurs during rusting releases heat, and you can test whether the
pH of a liquid affects the temperature of this reaction. Wear gloves during this experiment.
Measure 1 cup each of distilled water, vinegar and orange juice, and test the pH of each liquid
with litmus paper. Cut three pieces of steel wool about 1 inch in length. Place a thermometer
probe inside the hole of a test tube stopper. Place the stopper in the test tube, so the probe is
inside the tube. Record the temperature, then remove the stopper. Submerge one piece of
steel wool in the water for 30 seconds. Shake off the excess liquid and place the end of the
thermometer probe into the wool. Place the wool and thermometer into the test tube and
secure with the stopper; record the temperature every minute for 15 minutes. Repeat with
pieces of wool submerged in vinegar and orange juice. You should find the liquid with the
lowest pH increased the temperature the most.

Protecting Iron

Since iron is prone to forming rust, some mechanisms are used to prevent this chemical
reaction. Cover one iron nail with copper wire, a second with zinc strips and a third with
magnesium strips. Place each nail in a jar with water and leave it uncovered. Observe your
nails 24 hours later. You will find the copper did not prevent the nail from rusting, while the
zinc and magnesium protected the nail. Zinc and magnesium, used often in galvanization of
steel, are electropositive metals that form a barrier between iron and oxygen, thus protecting
iron from corrosion.