CHEMISTRY

INVESTIGAT
ORY
PROJECT
TOPIC: STUDY OF
EFFECT OF METAL
COUPLING ON
RUSTING OF IRON

Name: Abhinav Komanduri

Index
1. Acknowledgement
2. Certificate
3. Introduction
4. Theory
5. Material &
Equipment
6. Procedure
7. Method of
Preparation
 8. Conclusion
9. Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am grateful to my chemistry
teacher, Kiran Ma’am for the
invaluable guidance and feedback
provided throughout this project.
Ma’am’s vast knowledge and
encouragement have been
instrumental.
I would also like to thank our
principal, Malvika Malik Ma’am, for
enabling access to resources that
made this project possible.
Finally, I am deeply thankful to my
parents for their constant support
and motivation. This project would
not have been achievable without
them.

Name: Abhinav
Teacher Sign:

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project
submitted by Abhinav Komanduri
of class XII-A for the subject
Chemistry presented to Kendriya
Vidyalaya Army Area in partial
fulfilment of the CBSE
examination requirements for
class XII. The project was
undertaken under my guidance.
Abhinav Komanduri has been
consistently thorough in her
research and analysis. I affirm
that the project is completed to
my satisfaction and can be
submitted for evaluation.

Teacher Sign:
Student Sign:

OBJECTIVE
The goal of this project is to
investigate the effect of metal
coupling on the rusting of iron.
Metal coupling affects the rusting
of iron. We will have to study the
change in rate of rusting when an
iron nail is coupled with metals
more electropositive than iron and
with metal which are less
electropositive than iron

INTRODUCTION
Metals and alloys undergo rusting and corrosion. The process by which some
metals when exposed to atmospheric conditions i.e., moist air, carbon dioxide,
etc. form undesirable compounds on surface and the process of formation of
these compounds is known as
Corrosion.
The compounds formed are usually oxides. Iron is one of the widely distributed
elements in the 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 also a type of corrosion, but the term is restricted to iron or products
made from it. Iron is easily prone to rusting making its surface rough. Chemically,
rust is a hydrated ferric oxide (Fe2O3.nH2O). Rusting may be explained by an
electrochemical mechanism. In the presence of moist air containing dissolved
oxygen or carbon dioxide, the commercial iron behaves as if composed of small
electrical cells. At anode of cell, iron passes into the solution as ferrous ions.

Fe Fe2++2e-
The electrons from the above reaction move towards the cathode and
form hydroxyl ions.

H2O + (O) + 2e- 2OH-

hydroxyl ions interact from rust, i.e., hydrated ferric oxide.

2Fe2++H2O+(O) 2Fe3+
+2OH-
3Fe3++6OH-Fe2O3.3H2O(rust) or
2Fe(OH)3
If supply of oxygen is limited, the corrosion product may be black anhydrous
magnetite, Fe3O4.

THEORY
When a piece of iron metal is exposed to humid
atmosphere, it gets covered with a red-
brown substance called
Rust. Rusting of iron can be explained based on
electrochemical theory as follows:
1. Water vapours on the surface of the metal
dissolved carbon dioxide and oxygen from the
air. Thus, the surface of metal is covered with the
solution of carbon dioxide with water, i.e.,
carbonic acid:

H2O + CO2H2CO3
-----------(1)

This acts as an electrolytic solution of the cell. The

carbonic acid and water dissociate to a small extent

as follows:

H2CO32H+ + CO32-
H2OH++OH- --------
(2)
2. Iron in contact with the dissolved CO2 & O2 undergoes
oxidation as follows: -

FeFe2++2e- -------
(3)
2+
As a result, iron is converted into ferrous (Fe ) ion.
3. The electrons lost by iron are taken up by the
H+ Ions present on the surface of metal which
were produced by the dissociation of H2CO3 and
H2O. Thus, H+ ions are converted into H-atoms.
 H++e-H ------
(4)
Thus, H-atoms either react with the dissolved oxygen
from water or from air

4H+O22H2O
-------(5)
The complete reaction may be writes as: -

O2+4H++4e+2H2O
-------(6)
The dissolved oxygen may take up electrons directly
from OH- ions as follows: -

O2+2H2O+4e-4OH-
The overall reaction of miniature cell will be: -

2Fe(S)+O2(g)+4H+(aq) 2Fe2+(aq)
+2H20(l)
4. The ferrous ions formed react with the dissolved oxygen

or oxygen from air to form ferric oxide as follows: -

4Fe2++O2(g)
+4H2O2Fe2O3+8H+(aq)
Ferric oxide then undergoes hydration to form RUST as

follows: -

Fe2O3+xH2OFe2O3xH2O (ferric
oxide RUST)

MATERIAL
REQUIRED
Apparatus:
 Boiling tubes
 Rubber stopper
 Iron nails
 Burner
 Test tube
 Test tube holder and stand
Chemicals:
 Distilled water
 Dilute HCl
 Dilute NaCl sol.
 Anhydrous calcium chloride
 Cotton
 Mustard oil
PROCEDURE
1) Take five dry test tubes and mark them as A, B, C, D,
and E. Take 10 pieces of iron nails free from rust.
2) Moist two iron nails with distilled water and slide it in
the test tube marked ‘A’.
Close the mouth of the test tube.
3) In the test tube ‘B’, take 5 ml of water and boil it to
remove distilled air. Slide two nails in this test tube and
few drops of mustard oil to cover the surface of H2O.
4) In the test tube ‘C’, take 5 ml of dilute NaCl solution.
Slide two nails and close it.
5) In the test tube ‘D’, add two pieces of anhydrous
calcium chloride and cover it with thin layer of cotton.
Again, slide three nails and close it.
6) Leave these test tubes as such for 4-5 days and
observe carefully in which of the tubes rust is formed.
OBSERVATION
1. It is observed that rusting takes
place in the test tube A and C whereas
not in B, D, and E
2. Moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide
present in air are responsible for
rusting.
3. It appears that during experiment, a
compound of iron is formed by the
combination of iron, oxygen, carbon
dioxide and water.
4. It is observed that when the process
was prolonged in the presence of moist
air and acids, rusting spreads quickly.
 METHODS
OF
PREVENTION
1)Rusting of iron can be prevented by
covering its surface with paints, grease
and lacquers.
2) Galvanisation: -
This is one of the widely practical
methods used for the prevention of
rusting. The layer of zinc on the surface
of iron, when meets moisture, oxygen
and carbon dioxide in air, ferrous a
protective invisible layer of basic
Zinc Carbonate [Link](OH)2, due to
which the galvanised iron sheets lose
their lustre and tends to protect it from
further corrosion.
3) Rusting of iron can also be
prevented by coating its surface with
Iron (II, II) oxide Fe3O4 or Iron
(III)phosphate FePO4.

CONCLUSION
 Rust formed by prolonged action of
water, oxygen, and Carbon dioxide on
iron under other conditions
 Moisture, Oxygen, and carbon dioxide
present in air, all are responsible for
rusting

BIBLIOGRAPGY
 [Link]
 [Link]
 [Link]
 Comprehensive chemistry lab manual for
class 11th & 12th