ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I Wish to express my profound thanks to

MRS.MANASA.T.PILLAI, PRINCIPAL of my school
for encouraging me to put forward this
challenging project to work.

I would also like to express my deep sense of

gratitude and obligation to MR.NARASIMMAN
SARANGAN, M.Sc., B.Ed., M. Phil., for help and
guidance in all the stages of the project.

I also thank my parents and friends for their

support in carrying out this project.
CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.No Topic Page Number

1 Introduction 1

2 Aim 4

3 Theory 4

4 Apparatus 5

5 Chemicals Required 5

6 Procedure 6

7 Result 8

8 Precautions 8

9 Bibliography 10
 INTRODUCTION

The gradual eating away of metals when exposed to air and

moisture is known as corrosion. The metal surfaces become
rough. Holes or cavities appear which become deeper and
deeper. The metal gets covered with its oxide, hydroxide or
carbonate. The CORROSION OF IRON IS CALLED RUSTING. Iron
gets covered with an orange or brown layer when exposed to
air and moisture. Rusting is a slow electrochemical process in
which iron acts as the anode, releases two electrons to become
ferrous which reacts with hydroxyl ions to become ferric
hydroxide which loses water molecules to become hydrated
ferric oxide.

Anodic Region: Fe → Fe2+ + 2 e-

Iron Ferrous ion
4 Fe2+ + O2 + (4 + 2x) H2O → 2 Fe2O3.x H2O + 8 H+
Rust
Cathodic region: The electrons released by iron combine with
oxygen and water to produce hydroxyl ions.
O2 + 4 e- + 2 H2O → 4 OH−
Oxygen Water Hydroxyl ion
Prevention of rusting:
Various methods are used for protection of iron articles from
rusting. Some of the important methods are:
1. Protection by paints: Iron articles can be protected by
applying a thin film of a suitable paint, enamel or lacquer.
By doing this, the metal surface is prevented from coming
in contact with moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide and so
rusting is prevented. This is method is called barrier
protection.

2. Protection by oil and grease: This is another method of

barrier protection. Various tools and machine parts in
industry made of iron are prevented from rusting by
applying a thin film of oil grease on them.

3. Protection by metals: In this process the iron articles are

protected from rusting by covering them with a thin layer
of a more electropositive metal is called sacrificial
protection or metal coupling. If the metal used is zinc, the
process is called galvanization. This electropositive metal
participates in the anodic region reaction and prevents iron
from being oxidized. So, iron is not affected and is
protected.
 AIM

To study the effect of metal coupling on the rusting of iron.

THEORY

In this project, the aim is to study the effect of the metal

coupling on the rusting of iron. Metal coupling affects the iron
in two ways. If the nail is coupled with a more electropositive
metal like zinc, magnesium or aluminium, etc., rusting is
prevented but if on the other hand , it is coupled with less
electropositive metals like copper , the rusting is facilitated.

Fe-Zn couple, Zn → Zn2+ + 2 e− (occurs because Zn is

more electropositive than Fe)

Fe-Cu couple, Fe → Fe2+ + 2 e−

Cu → Cu2+ + 2 e− (does not occur

because Zn is less electropositive than Fe)

 APPARATUS

Sand paper, four iron nails, magnesium strip, zinc strip, copper
wire, two petri dishes with covers, 400 mL beaker, glass rod,
etc.

CHEMICALS REQUIRED

 Agar-agar (2.5g)
 0.1M potassium ferricyanide solution
 0.1% phenolphthalein solution
 Carbon tetrachloride
 Distilled water
 PROCEDURE

1. Clean the surface of the four iron nails by rubbing over the
sand paper. Wash them with carbon tetrachloride many
times to remove any greasy substances sticking to them.
Dry them in an oven at 100◦C.
2. Keep the first nail as such and wind a clean copper wire
around the second nail, a zinc strip around third, and a
magnesium ribbon around the fourth nail.
3. Preparation of Agar-Agar solution. Boil 250 mL distilled
water in a 400 mL beaker. Remove the burner and add 2.5
g of powdered agar-agar slowly with constant stirring with
a glass rod till it is completely dispersed in the solution.
Add to it 10-12 drops of 0.1 M potassium ferricyanide
K3 [Fe (CN) 6] solution followed by a few drops of 0.1%
phenolphthalein solution. Stir well and allow it to cool.
4. Place the bare nail and the one with copper wire in petri
dish no. 1 in such a way that they don’t touch each other.
In the same way, keep the nails with zinc strip and other
 with magnesium ribbon in petri dish no. 2.
5. Now pour the Luke warm agar-agar solution in both the
petri dishes carefully so as to cover the nails upto a depth
of 0.5 cm. Cover the dishes and allow them to stand for a
few hours (preferably overnight). The jelly will settle after
some time. Observe the patches around the nails and
record them in the table given table below:

S.No. Metal/Couple Colour of the Rusting

patch occurred
or not
1 Iron- Zinc Pink No

2 Iron -Magnesium Pink No

3 Iron- Copper Blue Yes

4 Iron – Nail Blue Yes

6. The nails that get rusted has two patches around it. One
patch is blue because of the reaction between ferrous ions
formed with potassium ferricyanide to form blue
precipitate of potassium Ferro-ferricyanide,
 [KFe [Fe (CN) 6]. The other patch is pink because the
hydroxyl ion (-OH-) formed turn colourless
phenolphthalein pink. There is no coloured patch around
the nail which does not rust.

RESULT
Coupling of iron with less reactive metal increases corrosion
and with more reactive metal decreases or stops iron –
corrosion.

PRECAUTIONS

 Only bright and shining nails should be used.

 Nails placed in same petri dish should not touch each
other.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

For our project we have taken help from following sources;

1) Comprehensive (Practical Chemistry – XII)

2) Internet- www.wikipedia.com, www.encylopedia.com

3) NCERT Chemistry Textbooks