Unit 3.

Air and Water

Syllabus Ref. 11.2

How much air is used up during rusting?

Class practical
Students set up iron wool to rust in a test tube full of air inverted in a beaker of water. As the iron wool reacts, rusts and
removes the oxygen from the air, water is drawn up the tube. By observing the change in the volume of air in the tube, the
percentage of oxygen in the air can be found.

Lesson organisation
This experiment will need to be carried out over 2 lessons about a week apart. The practical work will probably take no more
than 20 minutes in either lesson.

Apparatus

Chemicals

Per pair of
group of
pupils:
Test tube
(Note 1)
Beaker (100
cm3)
Ruler

Iron wool
Refer to Health & Safety and Technical notes
section below for additional information.

Health & Safety and Technical notes

Read our standard health & safety guidance
Iron wool, Fe(s) - see CLEAPSS Hazcard.
1 The test-tubes used in this experiment can get stained by the rust. They can be cleaned with a Stain Devil.

Procedure

a Put about 3 cm depth of iron wool into the test tube and wet it with water. Tip away excess water.
b Put about 20 cm3 water into the beaker. Invert the test tube and place it in the beaker of water (see diagram). Measure the
length of the column of air with the ruler.
c Leave for at least a week.
d Measure the new length of the column of air, taking care not to lift the test tube out of the water.

Teaching notes
Students need to understand that rusting is an oxidation reaction of iron with oxygen.
iron + oxygen iron oxide
This is not the full story, however, as the formation of rust is a complex process. There are many websites searchable by Google
which provide more detail as needed.
From their 2 measurements for the length of the column of air before and after rusting takes place students should be able to
calculate the percentage of the air which has been removed by the rusting reaction. This should be about 20% which is
approximately the percentage of oxygen in the air.
You could ask students how they could show that the reaction is complete they may suggest leaving it for another week or so
to see if any further air is used up. The iron is present in excess in this experiment, so it will not all rust. No more air will be
consumed beyond 20% (assuming the equipment is sealed correctly) as all the oxygen has been used up.
Health & Safety checked, September 2014

Credits
This Practical Chemistry resource was developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

Page last updated October 2015