Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mr. Raj Kumar Manpreet Kaur

+2 Science
Roll No.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude
to Mr. Raj Kumar, Chemistry lecturer for
suggesting this project & his constant advice.
I also thank my parents for helping me from
time to time. It as really impossi!le for me to
complete this project ithout their co"operation.
#ast !ut not the least I ould like to thank Mr.
Rameshar $ass, %rincipal. &.'.(.&. Model
&en. &ec. &chool, for giving me all the facilities
ithout hich my project ould not have !een
possi!le
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT
)his is to certify that 'eha *harti of class +,
&cience during session ,-.-",-.. &.'.(.&.
Model &en. &ec. &chool has su!mitted
satisfactory project on Effect of Metal
Coupling on Rusting of Iron. )he project
report entirely satisfies the practical study of the
certificate of &enior &chool of %.&./.*.
Principal Guide Teacher
Mr. Rameshar !ass Mr. Raj Kumar
"#NT$NTS
1.Theory
2.Protection of Iron articles from Rusting
3.Experiment
4.Theory
5.Apparatus
.!hemicals
".Proce#ure
$.%&ser'ations
(.!onclusions
1). Precautions
T%$#R&
*ayers of un+ante# po+#ery material are forme# on the surface of
some metals +hen they are expose# to air an# moisture. This is
,no+n as corrosion of metals. If the upper layer is remo'e# more
surfaces gets expose# an# the process of corrosion continues an#
more of the metals gets corro#e#.
In case if iron- this corrosion is ,no+n as Rusting. It is o&ser'e#
that +hen iron articles are expose# to moist air containing !%2 or
.%2- they get co'ere# +ith a &ro+n layer of oxi#e ,no+n as Rust
an# the phenomenon of rust formation is ,no+n as Rusting of iron.
Rust is a mixture of ferric oxi#e an# ferric hy#roxi#e forme# &y
the oxi#ation of iron in the presence of moisture an# oxygen.
'Moist.(
Iron / %xygen Iron %xi#e 0y#rate# Iron %xi#e
1Rust2
%xygen an# moisture are essentials for rusting. The presence of
!%
2
gas an# electrolytes help the process of Rusting. %nce the
process of rusting sets in- it continues &ecause the rust forme# act
as auto catalyst.
PR#T$"T)#N #* )R#N +RT)",$
*R#M R-ST)NG
The materials can &e protecte# from rusting &y a num&er of
metho#s &ut the iron articles are protecte# &y coating their surface
+ith a thin layer of metal +hich is more resistant to corrosion than
iron. 3or example- iron articles are coate# +ith a thin layer of tin
metal an# the process is ,no+n as tinning. As long as the layer of
tin remains intact- iron article is protecte#. 4ut if the layer &rea,s
a+ay from some places- the rusting process starts an# is facilitate#
&ecause iron is more electropositi'e than tin.
Accor#ing to Electrochemical Theory of Rusting- non5uniform
surface of iron &eha'es li,e a small electric cell in the presence of
moist air an# car&on #ioxi#e +ith t+o parts of iron piece acting as
electro#es. 6oist air acts as electrolyte.
Iron passes into solution as 3errous ions 13e
2/
2 at the ano#e of this
electrochemical cel..
3e 3e
2/
/ 2e
5
As soon as tin metal is remo'e# from some parts of the iron article-
the remaining tin metal acts as a catho#e an# the electron release#
&y iron mo'e to+ar#s catho#es 1tin metal2 to form hy#roxyl ions
+hich reacts +ith iron to form rust.
0
2
% / % / 2e
5
2%0
5
3e
3/
/ %0
5
3e
2
%
3
.30
2
% or 23e 1%02
3
This continues till +hole of iron article is corro#e#.
In the mo#ifie# metho# of protection- iron is coate# +ith a more
electropositi'e metal li,e 7inc. .uch articles are not affecte# &y
oxygen an# air containing #issol'e# car&on #ioxi#e. It is #ue to the
reason that 8inc is more reacti'e an# passes preferentially into the
solution as 7inc ions 18n
//
2 lea'ing iron unaffecte#. Thus the
reaction 3e 3e
//
/ 2e
5
#oes not occur an# hence iron is protecte#
from rusting.
The process of co'ering iron articles &y more electropositi'e metal
is ,no+n as metal coupling.
$.periment
To stu#y the effect of metal coupling on
the rusting of iron
T%$#R&
6etal coupling affects the rusting of iron. If iron nail is couple#
+ith a more electropositi'e metals li,e 7inc- magnesium or
aluminium- rusting is pre'ente# &ut if on the other han#- it is
couple# +ith a less electropositi'e metal li,e copper- rusting
process is facilitate#.
*e/0n couple
8n 8n
2/
/ 2e
5
1occurs 9 7inc is more electropositi'e than iron2
8n 8n 3e
//
/2e
5
1:oes not occur 9 3e is less reacti'e than 8n2
*e/"u couple
3e 9 3e
2/
/ 2e
5
1%ccurs 9 iron is more reacti'e than !u 9 Rusting
ta,es place2
!u 9 !u
2/
/ 2 e
5
1:oes not occur 9 !u is less reacti'e than 3e2
+PP+R+T-S
T+o Petri #ishes +ith co'ers- &ea,er 14)) ml2- glass ro#-
+ire gau7e- tripo# stan#- &urner- four iron nails- &are
copper +ire an# 7inc strip.
"%$M)"+,S
Po+#ere# agar5agar 12.5g2- +ater- potassium ferricyani#e
solution 1).1 62- phenolphyhalein solution )1;.
PR#"$!-R$
Ta,e 25) ml of #istille# +ater in a &ea,er an# heat to &oiling.
Remo'e the &urner an# a## 2.5 gms of po+#ere# agar5agar slo+ly
+ith stirring. A## to it 12 #rops of ).1 6- <
3
=3e1!>2

? solution
follo+e# &y fe+ #rops of ).1; phenolphthalein solution. Allo+
the solution to cool.
!lean the surface of iron nails +ith the help of san# paper. @ash
them +ith car&on tetrachlori#e an# #ry on filter paper.
@in# a clean 7inc strip aroun# one nail- a clean copper +ire aroun#
the secon# an# clean magnesium strop aroun# the thir# nail. Put all
these an# a fourth nail in Petri #ishes so that they are not in contact
+ith each other.
3ill the Petri #ishes +ith hot agar5agar solution in such a +ay that
only lo+er half of the nails are co'ere# +ith the liAui#s.
<eep the co'ere# Petri #ishes un#istur&e# for one #ay or so.
The liAui# sets to a gel on cooling. T+o types of patches are
o&ser'e# aroun# the ruste# nail- one is &lue an# the other pin,.
4lue patch is #ue to the reaction &et+een ferrous ions an#
potassium ferricyani#e to form potassium ferro5ferricynani#e- <3e
=3e1!>2

? +hereas pin, patch is #ue to the formation of hy#roxyl

ions +hich turns colourless phenolphthalein to pin,.
#1S$R2+T)#NS
.. >o. 6etal Pair !olour of the
Patch
>ail rusts or not
1. Iron58inc
2 Iron56agnesium
3 Iron5!opper
4 Iron5>ail
"#N",-S)#NS
It is clear from o&ser'ations that coupling of iron +ith more
electropositi'e metal such as 7inc an# magnesium resist
corrosion an# rusting of iron. !oupling of iron +ith less
electropositi'e metal such as copper increases rusting.
PR$"+-T)#NS
1. >ails in a #ish shoul# not touch each other.
2. >ails use# shoul# &e &right an# shining.
3. A## hot agar5agar solution in such a +ay that it #oes
not #istur& the nails.
1)1,)#GR+P%&
)he information and knoledge of this project
as gathered from"
Chemistry text!ook for class +,, 'C/R)
Comprehensive %ractise Chemistry, +,