Where theworld gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989
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Project on cleaning pennies
Q. Hi,
I am also (yep another one) doing a project on cleaning pennies and I have found a lot of help from you guys, but I still don't know why some juices worked and others didn't. Is it pretty much because they are acids, or is there another reason? Please help! Thank you now for any one who takes the time to reply!
Kara [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Austin, Texas
2002
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⇦ (tip: readers rarely show interest in abstract questions, but people's actual situations usually prompt responses) Hello Kara. It's complicated and in truth few teachers understand this experiment :-) You are not actually 'cleaning' pennies. Cleaning is the removal of soils. The brown layer on pennies is not soil, it is tarnish (copper oxides); and even after a penny has been thoroughly cleaned, it is still going to be brown because the brown is tarnish, not dirt, and it will not be removed by cleaning. Your teacher may explain that acid dissolves metal, but that is not quite what is actually happening. The truth is, even strong industrial acids like sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid don't dissolve copper; fruit juice certainly cannot! Why acids can't dissolve copper may be beyond your teacher's ability to explain or your ability to understand at your grade level, but to dissolve copper you need an oxidizing agent or chelating agent. What you are actually doing in this experiment is dissolving the brown copper tarnish or surface oxidation on the pennies, and thereby exposing the bright copper metal underneath. Why one juice is better than another at doing this is tricky! On the one hand, lemon or lime juice are pretty good at dissolving this brown tarnish, and they are indeed more acidic than, say, orange juice or apple juice (acids have a sour taste, and you recognize that lemons and limes are much more sour than oranges or apples). But if you have copper that is REALLY tarnished, for example if you have copper-bottomed pots or pans in your kitchen, you will find out that lemon or lime juice are ineffective. Yet ketchup will work well, which is very salty but not very acidic. Also, if you add salt to the lemon or lime juice, or you add salt to another mild acid like vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon], it will work very well. This is very difficult for me to understand, let alone explain, let alone expect a grammar school student to explain. In summary, salt dissolved in water will not remove tarnish from a penny, lemon or lime juice or vinegar will remove a thin tarnish from a penny but not a heavy tarnish like on a pot, but either ketchup or a mild acid plus salt will remove even very heavy tarnish quickly. Good luck.  Ted Mooney, P.E. Striving to live Aloha finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey A. Yep, it's because they're acids. Acids are positively charged; most tarnish and oxidation is either right around neutral or slightly negatively charged. When they get together, the oxidation goes floating away in the acid. Acids also suspend just enough of the copper atoms on the coin's surface to give it a little shine. Why do some acids work better than others? May the strongest acid win.  Randall Fowler - Fowler Industrial Plating, LLC Cleveland, Tennessee, USA |
Q. I am doing a science project on the deoxidation of copper using acids. I would like to know how does deoxidation occur? Like if someone wanted to turn the Statue of Liberty back to its original form how would they go about it and why does the acid they use take away the green look?
Glenn [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Lexington, South Carolina
2002
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Ed. note: The answer is above, Glenn.
Q. HI,
I'm doing a high school science fair project. It's on what juices clean pennies the best. I was wondering why acids clean pennies better than bases and what is in the juices that make them clean the pennies so well. Also I was wondering what pennies are actually made of today and somewhere where I could find this information. I am so confused because everything is giving me something different. I would really appreciate any answer anyone has to my questions. Oh, I have one more question, what actually causes pennies to get dirty? THANKS A BUNCH FOR YOUR HELP!
- Pembroke, MA
2002
Ed. note: The answer to all your questions except what pennies are made of is above, Kalyn. Pennies today are made of zinc that has been electroplated with a layer of copper. More info on the composition of coins is available on the U.S. Mint's web site at https://www.usmint.gov
How does acid affect dirty pennies? I'm doing a science fair project and it is on the question above. Could you please help me? Thanks!
Lauren [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Illinois, USA
2002
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Ed. note: The answer is above, Lauren.
What is the top five liquids for cleaning a penny?
Jamie [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- LA, California, USA
2002
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Ed. note: it depends on what you mean by 'cleaning', Jamie. I suspect you don't really mean cleaning, but removing the brown tarnish layer as explained above. It also depends on what you mean by 'top'--whether you mean the 5 that are most used by students, or something else.
Please I need help on my science fair project it's about "Which juice cleans pennies the best" I need to find info on pennies and why the juice will clean it best?
Thanx,
Adriana [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Coconut Creek, Florida
2002
Hello Adriana, Jamie, Lauren, Kalyn ...
... one of the things you are supposed to be practicing in every science assignment is improvement of your scientific research skills.
You typed your question into a search engine and it led you to this letter where your question was already asked & answered. Please read the information already here, and try your best to understand it (although it may be over your head). It is a poor research habit (not to mention slightly rude) to just ignore the effort already put in on this page and just ask that people start over for you.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2002
Q. What is in spaghetti sauce other than citric acid that cleans a tarnished penny?
Rashida [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Colonial Heights, Virginia
2002
Ed. note: I think salt has a lot of do with it, as explained above, Rashida
That one about the ingredient in spaghetti sauce was funny.
- Augusta, Georgia, USA
2003
Does salt water, tap water, or chlorine affect a penny when it corrodes? If so state why.
Carlie N [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Houston, Texas, United States
2002
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Ed. note: Carlie, please try to paraphrase your question because it looks like you just cut & pasted your homework question here, and teachers have been asking us to "please tell the students to do their own homework". Are you sure you understand the question? (Asking for the answer to a question you don't understand will more likely confuse than enlighten).
Q. Well when I decided to do this for a science fair project I had to do some research on my topic, then I fell upon this web site. It really helped me find my changing variables, I have salt water solution, sugar water solution, vinegar, vinegar + salt, soy sauce, lemon juice, ketchup, and orange juice. Well, I have a couple of questions:
1. For my variable should I use water?
2. What should I say for my hypothesis, I have no clue everybody said something different, vinegar, soy sauce, vinegar + salt?
3. I didn't understand how you make sure each coin is exactly the same amount of dirty? or does it really matter?
4. Should I time them or just see which cleaned the best?
5. How can I measure how clean each is if they are really close?
Well thanx,
Marjan [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Torrance, California, USA
2002
A. 1. I don't think you mean 'variable', Marjan, you probably mean 'control'. Yes, water would probably be a good control because it is understandable and duplicable.
2. Your hypothesis should be something you believe is true but do not know. You will attempt to demonstrate that it's true, and if it turns out not to be, then you'll make a New hypothesis. You're read that soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar+salt are good cleaners and the other liquids aren't so good. So if I were you, my hypothesis would be that these three solutions are good cleaners and the others aren't.
3. You have 9 solutions to test. I'd find 27 pennies, and try to sort them into the 9 cleanest, the 9 dirtiest, and the 9 in the middle. Then I'd shake each pile of nine and deal out one penny from each batch to each solution.
4. I would rub each penny for about 10 seconds with a paper towel wetted with the solution.
5. If they are close in appearance, you can't necessarily pick the better one. But between the 3 pennies, you will definitely see that some solutions are effective cleaners and some are not. You may not be able to pick a clear winner; you may only be able to pick good solutions from bad ones. If your results are, for example, that soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar+salt are all good, that's fine!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Hi!
I am doing a huge Chemistry project for school (still in high school) and I was wondering how does vinegar affect bronze? Both positively and negatively. Like, how might it clean the bronze or destroy it, if it does at all?
Thank you!
Alisa [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- New York, NY, U.S.A.
2002
Q. Hi,
I am a student in high school and doing a research project for chemistry class. I really need help with finding out how certain chemicals affect my material, which is bronze. These chemicals are: vinegar, Ajax [on eBay or Amazon], Comet, Tarn-X tarnish remover [on eBay or Amazon] , acetone [on eBay or Amazon], ammonia, water, soap, and bleach. How can they both positively and negatively affect the bronze? Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Persephone [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- NY, New York
2002
A. Alisa, Persephone: what does the sample(s) of bronze that you are using look like? Is it one big sheet or is it a number of small coin-like pieces? Do you know, or has anyone told you if the bronze is cast vs. wrought? Have you been given the alloy composition of the bronze? Most are an alloy of copper and tin, but in varying percentages, and sometimes there is no tin in them. Tell us what the brass samples look like and we can suggest a protocol for your experiments.
It would be a foolish project if it involved no experimentation and only consisted of simply asking someone else "what do you guess would happen if..?" :-)
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I am doing a science project called WHAT GETS A PENNY CLEAN BETTER? But first I need to know how pennies get dirty and with what. Can you please help me!
Deny [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Laredo, Texas
2002
A. Deny, pennies can and do get dirty with a thousand different things just like your hands or your shirt do. But this very popular science question seems to be what removes the brown tarnish that builds up on pennies over time as the result of exposure to the oxygen in the air. At the top of this letter I explained it all as best I could.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
I am doin a science fair project and I need to know why coke cleans pennies?
Bob [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Alameda, California, United States of America
2003
Coke contains phosphoric and/or carbonic acid, Bob. It is actually a poor cleaning agent, but it is apparently good at removing copper tarnish as explained above. However, if I said instead that Coke removes tarnish because Coke is brown like the tarnish, or because it doesn't smell like turpentine, or because it was invented over a hundred years ago, you would have no reason to not accept those explanations either.
You don't have a project until you find some things that won't remove that tarnish and some additional things that do because only then will you be able to conjecture whether it is the acid content, the color, the smell, or the age of the liquid that helps it remove tarnish. Good luck!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
I am doing a science fair project on the same topic. I have two problems/questions. 1. What are Canadian pennies made from? Are they currently copper or a zinc mixture? 2. How do I make my pennies dirty so I can begin the experiment?
Michael [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
2003
I don't know if Canadian pennies are solid copper or whether they have a zinc core that has been plated with copper. You can cut one with a hacksaw and see if the inside is silvery colored zinc or copper like the outside. But it probably makes no difference to your experiment because the zinc is not exposed. Find some tarnished pennies; any attempt to artificially darken them alters and corrupts the experiment.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
I am conducting a science project on cleaning pennies. I have done experiments and have found lemon juice to be the best cleanser. The question I have is why did the lemon juice get the pennies cleaner when put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes at 36 °F versus 30 minutes in lemon juice @ 70 °F ?
Olivia [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Cut Off, Louisiana
2003
Olivia, that result surprises me but I haven't tried it. I suggest you rerun the experiment to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Then if you're right, you're right, and we all learn something from you.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. Mr. Mooney,
Q. I did conduct the experiment on 5 separate occasions and found the results to be the same.
Olivia [returning]- Cut Off, Louisiana
2003
A. Okay, Olivia, you intrigued me enough to try it myself. I ran the experiment myself (just once with 3 pennies in each dish). My finding from the single run was a bit "iffier" than yours. I am not really sure that the cold lemon juice was more effective than the room temperature batch, but it absolutely was not less effective--which was still a surprise to me! Taking into account that my results were not contrary to yours, and may have been exactly the same, and that you ran it five times, I'd say your results were conclusive.
I do not know the explanation, I can only guess that it has something to do with the warmer juice allowing the dissolved gases to escape more readily. It's interesting and I hope another reader can explain it.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
I am 11 years old and am doing a science fair project on What household products clean a penny? We are using ammonia, vinegar, baking soda [on eBay or Amazon] /water and lemon juice but we are not sure on how much of each to use (quantity wise). If anyone out there has done a similar project, I would appreciate any information you could provide. I also was wondering the time frame you left the penny in these solutions.
Thanking you for your assistance in advance.
Ashley [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Wheeling, West Virginia, USA
2003
I am looking to get recognized for my effort in my Science project. We have a lot of students who are participating. I would appreciate any one's help on how to display and conduct my project. I am doing my project on "What Fruit Juices Clean Pennies Best". Please help!
Gilbert Y. [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Sacramento, California, USA
2003
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Ashley: Please read above; Olivia put her pennies in the solutions for half an hour and that seemed to be enough. A round number of 1 hour might be better. I do not think you should use ammonia; I feel it's a bit dangerous for 11-year-olds.
I would use the other liquids like vinegar and lemon juice full strength in a small dessert bowl. Powdered things I would mix one teaspoon in the dessert bowl with water. You could also try other juices, and soy sauce. For more experiments you could add a half teaspoon of salt to each solution.
Gilbert, to be recognized for extra effort requires putting in extra effort -- that might mean reading everything on this site about cleaning pennies and trying to prove or disprove something conclusively with multiple tests and carefully controlled conditions.
Best of luck!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
We are doing a science experiment: 10 pennies placed in 8 ounces of pepsi cola, with the control 10 pennies placed in an open container.
The question is what effects does phosphoric acid (in the pepsi) have on a penny? We are observing the characteristics of size, shape, weight and color?
What has happened is that the water has evaporated in the container with the pepsi and pennies. We have seen some discoloration of the pennies in the pepsi, size has remained the same. We need to weigh them.
Should we be observing something other than the above?
Thank you,
Susan C. [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Brooklyn, New York
2003
What cleans a penny best? (detergent, cold water, warm water, Ajax, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, etc.)
Ana [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Forest Hills, New York
2003
Susan, don't be so stingy with your Pepsi. Put in plenty so it doesn't all evaporate and I think you'll see substantial corrosion. And don't shake it, let it stay carbonated.
Ana, you are supposed to actually do the experiment, not ask someone else for their answers. But it will depend on whether you scrub or just soak. If you just soak, lemon juice might win. If you scrub, I'd bet on the Ajax [on eBay or Amazon] for sure.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003
Hi,
I really need you help ! My research project is on liquids and pennies my question is which liquids will clean the pennies the best ? and I really need information about that PLEASE HELP ME AS SOON AS YOU CAN MY RESEARCH PROJECT IS DUE ON MONDAY AND TODAY IS THURSDAY I AM IN FOURTH GRADE PLEASE HELP ME PLEASE I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER THANKS.
Thank you,
Mehak N [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S.A
2003
You still have plenty of time to do the experiments, so I suggest you get on and do them. There are plenty of ideas on this page alone and there are thousands of others on this website. You do not become a good scientist by surfing the internet asking others to do your work for you. The skills of a scientist are experimentation, observation, deduction and conclusion. If you want to develop delegation and take a soft option, I suggest you take a management course!
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2003
2003
I am in need of a little help. I have finished my science fair experiment on what common household liquid cleans the corrosion from a penny the best without assistance.
I used water, vinegar, dish soap, veg. oil, and tomato juice. I found tomato juice and vinegar to be the most effective and am basing my results on the fact that both contain a percentage of acid. I know that vinegar contains 5% acid but cannot find a percentage for tomato juice so I can complete my comparative. I have looked many places, including my mom's nutrition text from college. Please help me if you can.
I also noted that the vinegar left the penny shinier than the tomato juice did when immersed for the same period of time. I conducted the experiment 3 times, increasing the time allowed with each start so I could note the effect time has on cleaning the penny.
I think the vinegar pennies are shinier than the tomato juice pennies due to the acid level in the liquid. Am I correct in this?
Stephen [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
5th grade student, Barret's Chapel Elem - Arlington, Tennessee, USA
Hi! I have been looking at all of the
FAQ's on how to clean pennies! I have tried the vinegar and salt, but it didn't work! I would really appreciate it if you could let me know if there is a trick to it and what the salt to vinegar ratio should be! Thank-you Very Much!
Abbey [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Minocqua, Wisconsin
2003
I think you are largely right, Stephen. Acid does dissolve the brownish-colored copper oxide tarnish. But there is more to it than that. Salt greatly assists the acid is dissolving tarnish but it's not really clear to me why that is. I suspect that tomato juice is not very acidic, although I don't know where to find the acid content.
An interesting experiment might be to add some different salt than table salt--like calcium chloride, or epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) or sodium sulphate--and see what boost that gives to vinegar.
Abbey: I have successfully cleaned copper-bottomed pots and pans with vinegar and salt, where the tarnish is way thicker and denser than the tarnish on pennies. Try some different vinegar or some different pennies; it isn't possible to tell from this distance why the experiment did not work for you. It does work. There is no magic amount of salt that is necessary, try 1/2 teaspoon in 2 ounces of vinegar.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003
Hi,
I seen your project and I am doing the project but with different juices. So I was wondering how long do you leave the pennies in the juices? and does it matter what kind of container you put the pennies in or not? and what would be my procedure?
Desiree [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
2003
Ed. note: We say above that an hour might be a good amount of time. Glass is inert; that would be the best container.
I am doing a 5th grade science project on what type of vinegar cleans pennies best. When I was doing research I saw that some experiments added salt to the vinegar, but I can't find any explanation as to why. I bet it's because it helps the vinegar clean better (I'll find out when I do my experiment), but I'm looking for an explantation as to why. Can you help?
Robert [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Puyallup, Washington, USA
2003
Ed. note: Explained above, Robert
Q. Hi! My name is Amanda and I am doing a science fair project on "What cleans a penny best?" I have already done my experiment with seven different substances which are comet, ajax, pinesol, Windex [on eBay or Amazon] , coke, hot soapy water and cold soapy water. I had to do this for a period of six weeks. I just need to find information on my problem and hypothesis. It has to be a page long and I only have a half a page on both. If you have any ideas of what I can put please email me before March 2nd.
Amanda [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Lancaster, California, USA
2003
A. Amanda, I can't understand how you possibly managed to summarize the results of a 6-week trial on seven different cleaning solutions into half a page. It's amazing! Just tell us here in detail what you did, and what you found, and I'm positive it will fill well over 2 pages. For example, how did you pick the pennies, what kind of container did you use for the test, what concentration of the dry materials did you add to the water, etc., what was the appearance of the pennies in the seven different solutions after the test, what do you think you learned about what solutions worked and didn't work.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
A. If the problem is the title of the project, so be it. You haven't said what your hypothesis is. Try describing what you did, why you did it, what you saw and what conclusions you can draw from your observations. Describe how your thought patterns has got you to these conclusions. If that doesn't fill a page of writing, try using bigger print.
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
I am doing a project about what juice cleans pennies the best and I'm using cranberry apple orange and grape. I seem to not be able to find what are in the juices and why the penny gets so dirty. I need help finding out what in the jucies seem to clean the penny and how to find out why the penny gets so dirty, what makes it so dirty. I don't know wether it's the copper or what. Also if you can help me to find out what's in the penny that would be great. Do you know how to go about doing this project if so that would be great . Thanks sooooooooooooo much.
Brit B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Silverspring, Maryland
2003
The bright color of a new penny is copper. After exposure to the atmosphere, the copper reacts with oxygen in the air and forms a tarnish of copper oxide. The copper oxide is brown. Everything else is explained within the first few paragraphs of this page.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003
I am a 6th grader doing a science project and I tested different substances but copper cleaner cleaned a penny better then all the other substances, including the acids. Please explain this?
Gregory L [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Herndon, Virginia
2003
They wouldn't sell much copper cleaner if it didn't work better than vinegar or lemon juice, would they? Commercial cleaners have a complex mixture of things that are good for the particular job: cleaners, solvents, acids, preservatives, abrasives, etc.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003
2003
Hi, it's me again thanks but I still need help:
1.what is the penny made of
2.what makes a penny "clean"
3.what chemicals are in these juices orange, grape, cranberry and apple
4.what makes things clean.
5. what makes a penny dirty
6.what is the "cleaning process"
7. how do I write background information with a bibliography for my project what juices cleans pennies the best.
8.where would I find information on cleaning, what makes things clean the chemicals in the juices I listed and how they affect how clean they make the penny.
9.how do I find information about the penny.
Thanks so much for taking the time to help me with my project you have truly did a lot.
Britt B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Silverspring, MD
2003
1. Copper.
2. Removing the tarnish.
3. Small amounts of citric acid and ascorbic acid; as I said before, I'm surprised that these juices worked.
4. Hopelessly broad question, but basically removing anything from the surface that you don't want there.
5. Tarnish.
6. Read the rest of this thread, especially the beginning.
7. Ask your librarian please; just answering the technical portions of thousands of student questions is utterly overwhelming, we can't also take responsibility for teaching students about how to write reports. Sorry.
8. That's a pretty silly question by this point, Britt, considering it was also answered above.
9. The U.S. Mint at www.usmint.gov
Good luck!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003
1. Pennies
2. V8-Juice
3. Lemon Juice
4. Tomato Juice
5. Apple Juiice
6. Cloth
7. Container
First, take the pennies and juices and label them as exhibit A, B, C, and D. Second, you drop the pennies in the labeled juices and let it sit for about 3 minutes. Third, After the three minutes are up take the pennies out and wipe off with the cloth. Last, See which juice cleaned which penny the best. Is my materials ok and is my methods of procedure too simple?
Lil D [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Memphis,TN, USA
Ed. note: it sounds just duckie to me.
Does milk of magnesium help clean a penny?
Barndon [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Baltimore, Maryland, US
2003
Barndon,
Try it and let us know the answer.
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2003
Hi,
I am 12 years old and know for a fact that Taco Bell Hot sauce gets pennys super perfectly clean , is there a certain chemical in all this cleaning items that is the active ingredient for cleaning pennies ?
JACKIE [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Bel Air, California
2003
Ed. note: You have put it all much better than many high-schoolers have, Jackie. I don't think there is a single chemical most responsible, but a combination of acid and salt. There are probably other miscellaneous agents in the various liquids as well.
We are doing a project regarding the acid quantities of several citrus fruits. Could you tell me the acidity or pH of grapefruit juice? Thank you!
Clare [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
2003
What is acid exactly? How does acid help clean pennies? I really need to know this for my reserach paper. All the info I find are about acid rain... I really don't want to know about acid
*rain*.
Sally [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Plainview, New York, USA
2003
Ed. note: Acid is actually ions of hydrogen. Acid removes tarnish from pennies by dissolving the tarnish (copper oxide) into solution. The ions of hydrogen in solution want to come out of solution but cannot come out until something else goes into solution to replace them, namely the copper in the tarnish.
I have to write a report,but I can't find what I'm looking for. My question is what are pennies made of and what is the reaction of vinager on it.
Abigail [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Daiwai, HongKong, China
2003
Ed. note: It's all on this page, Abigail, take it from the top.
2003
I NEED TO KNOW WHICH ONE WILL CLEAN THE BEST
1.LEMON JUICE
2.VINEGAR
3.COCA COLA
4.WATER (WITH SOAP)
NEED ANSWER ASAP!
Rose [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Kenosha, Wisconsin, America
Ed. note: the sooner you take some pennies and put them into these liquids, the sooner you'll have the answer.
can you please tell me why the vinegar turns the penny green or tell me where I could find this information thank you
ben haberle [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- hazleton, pa usa
2003
Like the rest of you I'm doing a science project on cleaning pennies. I have conducted several experiments and I was wondering if you could just tell me about how phosphoric acid cleans away the dirt and stuff. I have looked on different sites and I got some answers but I want another opinion/answer. I have looked at the questions that were on here and I think that they were very well answered and I would appreciate it very much if someone could answer my question and if they can't thats ok..
....hope to hear from somebody!
stacy y. [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- greenville, Pennsylvania, USA
2003
Stacy, unfortunately, if you don't take 30 seconds to summarize what you think you've learned, there's no way anyone can help you further--especially when you refer to "dirt and stuff" after we've so carefully noted and explained again and again that it is not dirt, and exactly what the "stuff" actually is at least a hundred times :-)
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And with that, I am completely out of steam from answering variations of this same question more than 500 times on this site. From here on in, it's time for the students, or the parents, or the teachers. There is no point to an endless string of duplicative questions. Good luck kids.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003
I am doing a science project about cleaning pennies with different kinds of juices.
For my hypothesis I need to know how acid cleans pennies.
Ally J [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- LA, California, USA
2003
Hi, My science project is about why does acid clean pennies? Could you please help me on that question, please thanx alot,
Kay S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - Milan, New Mexico, United States
2003
I'm doping a project for the science heritage fair and my topic I chose was what juices clean pennies the best I was wondering what I should use and also I was wondering if you know any site I could check to show me what ingredients are in orange juice/apple juice/Pepsi/milk and lemon-aid thank you.
Amanda P [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
st.peters jr.high - Mount pearl, Newfoundland, Canada
2003
I can't find good enough information for acids cleaning pennies so do you have any ideas?
Carlos M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
2003
Hi,
I'm a student at wcs and all the seventh graders are doing a science fair project. And I'm doing which soda, coke or 7up, will dissolve a penny more faster? And I need infromation about pennies, coke, and 7up, but I can't find anything about it. So if you can, tell me the websites I can go to find about my science project. And tell me what's in coke or 7up to dissolve a penny. Thank you.
Sarah [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student at wcs - Algonquin, Illinois
2003
I'm another student doing the penny cleaning experiment for my science fair project. I am using four types of fruit juice: orange, apple, prune & "Capri Sun" fruit blend. The result was apple and "capri sun" did poorly and orange and prune about the same, actually prune won. I understand from reading about this that the acid in the juice has something to do with it, and so I understand why orange did so well, but why would prune even do better? I'd appreciate it if you can let me know what you think asap! Thanks!
Hayley D [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
5th grade student - Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.A.
2003
I am doing a science fair project at school, and I'm doing will lemonade or orange juice remove tarnish from a penny. Can you tell me the sites I can go to to find information. And I am wondering if you can tell me how does citric acid remove tarnish from a penny ro copper? ANd I really need to know how to write a good purpose, hypothesis, and a conclusion.Thank you
Sarah [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student at wcs - algonquin, Illinois
2003
I'm doing a science project and I was wondering if you know what is in vinegar, ammonia, nail polish remover, and tomato sauce? when I cleaned my pennies with ammonia it cleaned better than vinegar even though vinegar is an acid and ammonia
[on
eBay or
Amazon] is not. Do you know why that is?
Taylor K [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - Austin, Texas, U.S.
2003
Hi,
I need to know so information because I have to do the science fair because its going on our report card and I need to raise my mark in science . Well I'm going to tell you this first . I'm not being mean of anything but I need this question really soon!
What I need to know is what kind of beverage cleans pennies best and why?
Vene M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
2004
I'm doing a science fair project and I need to know "What kind of juice or liquid will clean the rust off of pennies best and why is it that kind of liquid cleans the rust off of pennies best ? A.S.A.P !
Rovene [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
2004
We are doing a science fair project on cleaning pennies with juice. The juices that we are using are lemon orange rasberry grape and apple juice. We need to know which cleans the best.
Wyatt C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Fort Vermilion, Alberta, Canada
2004
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If there isn't enough on this page, please read our F.A.Q. on Cleaning Pennies . Good luck with your projects! 
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