Elena Knudsen

Pd. 1

10/24/17

Corrosion of Iron Experiment

Pre-lab:

1. The rusting of iron is a oxidation-reduction reaction.

2. In half-reaction 1, the oxidized species is iron and the reduced species is oxygen. In half-

reaction two, the oxidized species is iron and the reduced species is oxygen.

3. A sacrificial metal is a metal that rusts easily.

4. When iron rusts, it rusts very quickly when exposed to water and oxygen. The metal

keeps oxidizing, yet with copper, its rust protects the metal from further rusting.

Introduction:

The corrosion of iron is an oxidation-reduction reaction, a reaction in which one product

gains electrons (reduction) and another loses electrons (oxidation). In this lab, both iron and zinc

acted as sacrificial metals, partially protecting iron from its corrosion. In the lab, there were two

separate petri dishes, one with iron nails alone, and the other with zinc and copper as well, and

both dishes contained an agar solution. Two indicators were integrated in the agar solution,

phenolphthalein solution and potassium hexacyanoferrate, and their purpose was to enhance the

the colors from copper and zinc.

 Before

Iron nails. Iron nails wrapped in copper and zinc.

(Dish A) (Dish B)

After

Iron nails with rust in agar.
(Dish A)
Iron and copper wrapped iron nails
with rust. The clouds of pink and blue
are the zinc and copper reacting with
the phenolphthalein and potassium
hexacyanoferrate in the agar.
(Dish B)

Conclusion:

The pink and blue around the nail is the zinc and copper reacting phenolphthalein

solution and potassium hexacyanoferrate. The nails surrounded by copper and zinc have taken

less damage than the nails without the sacrificial metals. The blue sites in Dish A are a result of

the corroded iron reacting with the solutions in the agar. If the nail were stressed, it would

continue to corrode the iron, wearing it further down. In Dish B, the copper surrounded nail was

surrounded by the blue substance and the zinc surrounded nail was surrounded by pink and

white, both due to the residue of rusted metal. While zinc and copper were used in the

experiment, other sacrificial metals include cesium, calcium, and strontium. The experiment
displayed what was expected because it showed how the sacrificial metals helped to protect the

iron underneath. To improve the experiment, more exact measurements and temperatures could

be taken.