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Student question about acid and metal reaction

Dear Owners,

I am a seventh grade girl who dearly needs help on a science project involving acids and metals. I am using lemons, grapefruit, and oranges and a nickel. I tried to test them but nothing happened. Please tell me where I went wrong and what I should do.

Cheryl
- Waldorf, Maryland
2002

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2002

I don't think anything WILL happen, Cheryl. Nickels are made of nickel metal, which is resistant to such weak acids as lemon, grapefruit, and orange juice. I don't know what your project or assignment is, but I think nickels plus fruit juices won't make for a very good experiment.

Maybe you should proceed like many other kids, and see which of these three juices can remove the brown tarnish from an old penny and turn it shiny "orange" again? Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

You can try and use a different metal. I have heard that aluminum works good with this kind of project but only gets a small reaction. The reaction is some tiny holes in the aluminum. I am doing this project as well!

Caitlyn B.
- Sorrento, Florida, U.S.
2005

If you use a new penny and use hydrochloric acid the new penny will be gone if you don't pull it out of the acid with prongs within 50 seconds. that's an effective experiment!

Jake Gerozy
- Pennsylvania
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Thanks, Jake. But remember that Cheryl's question is a 7th grader's question. Hydrochloric acid might be okay for a high school chemistry student with the lab teacher's supervision, but it probably isn't right for a 7th grader. Thanks again.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007