Corrosion Of Corrosion

Title:

Reacting Matter: "What substances cause metals to corrode in a short period of time?"

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered why metal starts to rust? Or why a once shiny material turns to an ugly reddish-brown? Have you ever tried using water to rid your bike wheels of mud but only to find it become crusty and weathered? Shouldn't it be clean? The dilemma is that your bike wheels are produced with steel. Steel contains iron which can easily be corroded. Corrosion is the deterioration of a metal due to chemical reactions involving the metal and its surrounding environment. There are many types of corrosion but the main form of it is rust. Rust only occurs in iron, however, other metals do oxidise. Rust is the oxidisation of iron, this is when oxygen and water combine to form iron oxide which is also known as rust. Corrosion involves a metal atom being oxidised, whereby it loses one or more electrons and leaves the bulk metal. The lost electrons are conducted through the bulk metal to another site where they reduce (i.e. combine with) a non-metallic element N or another metallic ion G+ that is in contact with the bulk metal which in doing so weakens the metal, thus, corrosion has taken place.

Rusting and corrosion of metals are a very serious issue because things we use in throughout our daily lives are exposed to this threat. In order to prevent corrosion certain substances need to be avoided but what are these substances?

Aim:

This investigation aims to determine which substances are corrosive agents.

Hypothesis:

If a nail is placed in separate dishes containing a different variation of bicarbonate soda, vinegar, cooking oil and water for a duration of a week (seven days) then the nail surrounded by vinegar and wa...

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...er analysing the results it was determined that bicarbonate soda and cooking oil are not corrosive agents, whereas vinegar is. Although the Petri dish containing cooking oil did show signs of corrosion it was only because it was in the presence of water. Furthermore, water is a corrosive agent and ultimately, the hypothesis was proven correct.

References:

"Rusting Out: How Acids Affect the Rate of Corrosion." Rusting Out: How Acids Affect the Rate of Corrosion. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .

"Sodium Bicarbonate and Metal." Sodium Bicarbonate and Metal. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .

"What is Corrosion?." About.com Metals. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .