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Nails rusting science project, p.2




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Q. Hello

I'm in grade 8 now

I have a question about rust

Does rust weigh more than metal? because I couldn't find any answers on the internet

Please reply within 1-3 days

Thank you!

Andrea T [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Sydney, NSW, Australia
February 8, 2008

A. You may be young to fully understand the answer, Andrea. But rust is iron oxide, a compound that is the reaction product of iron and oxygen. So, if the iron is only one of the two components in the compound, the compound is going to weigh more than one of its two components.

If you are still not quite following this, imagine that you want to decorate for Christmas and you start out with a bowl of green jelly beans. Then you decide that you don't like it all green, so for each green jelly bean in the bowl, you're going to add a red one too. Which weighs more, the green jelly beans (iron) you started with, or all of the jelly beans (iron oxide) in the bowl?

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 9, 2008



Q. I'm doing a science project on rusting a nail and I was wondering why bleach [adv: bleach/sodium hypochlorite in bulk on eBay or Amazon] has a very high affect on the speed of rusting an iron nail

mathew w [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - federal way, Washington
February 25, 2008


You don't say what grade you are in, Mathew, so I don't know what chemistry concepts you understand yet. Rust is an electrochemical reaction between iron and oxygen. Bleach is sodium hypochlorite, NaOCl, dissolved in a highly conductive mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and water. The oxygen and chlorine are 'just barely' dissolved, and want to come out as gases, so bleach provides plenty of oxygen for rapid rusting, plus corrosive chlorine, while also providing a very highly conductive path for the corrosion currents to take.

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 27, 2008



Q. Hey I'm in yr 9 and I was wondering if anyone could help me on a rough method for "which substance rusts a nail quickest" for an assignment

ashlee [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- new south wales, Australia
April 29, 2008

A. Hi, Ashlee. We don't have an FAQ about this rusting nail project, but we do have an FAQ: What Liquid Cleans Pennies Best; although that question is a little bit different, I think you will find it interesting and helpful for your project. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 2008


Q. Hi, I'm inquiring on an experiment I have to conduct for my year 9 science assignment. I have to see what types of things effect iron nails, but the thing is there are different ways to do the experiment. By temperature, or like liquids. I'm not sure which one would be most effective and the fastest result is best suitable. Anyone please help ASAP!

Thank you

Mary A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - Australia
May 13, 2008

A. Hi, Mary. We're always happy to try to help. But it seems that what you need this time is proper interaction with your science teacher :-)

You don't convey that you have any idea whatsoever of what science lesson the experiment is supposed to teach you or, even in the most general way how to even begin, either with a how or a why. To just give you rote instructions to follow would make this bad situation even worse. Go to your science teacher and tell him/her that you simply have no idea what you are supposed to be doing or why or what you are supposed to learn from it. S/he will probably be glad to get the feedback and to get you back on track. Of course if you've had the assignment for 4 weeks, and it's due tomorrow . . .   :-)

Regards,

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



2005

Q. Hello fellow science lovers,
I'm wondering if anyone could help me again...

:) I'm doing a project/fair. and I'm in year 9.

I have to base it on the rate of corrosion when water is affected with an iron nail. I'm wondering if I could have an experiment to help me with this..

Cheers.
- fellow science lover

Sarah A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - Australia, NSW
May 14, 2008


Q. Hey. Grade 9
I have to do an experiment about rust
And I would like to know about the different kinds of contaminants that would affect the rusting. (:
I am having a hard time researching about the kinds of contaminants (:
Please help.

Eliea R [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Student - Philippines
July 12, 2008


Hi, Eliea. We're happy to try to help if that help will further your education, but . . .

I don't think you understand what you are supposed to be doing or why, so I think you should rewrite your question without using the words 'rust', 'affect'. or 'contaminants'. If you can't do that you need to talk to your teacher because you don't yet understand what you teacher wants, and anybody's guess is just a guess. Good luck.

Regards,

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


Q. Hello.
I am in the 9th grade, and I am doing a project on what conditions arouse a nail to rust the most, and I would like to ask whether anyone knows if there are any precautions or wrong with placing a nail in boiling water? As it is one of my conditions. I would just like to know before something absolutely terrible occurs.

Thank you.

Mandy R [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Sydney, NSW, Australia
July 25, 2008


Q. My son has just started 3rd grade and is having to do his first science project. We had to choose what the experiment would be and have it approved by the teacher. We went to the internet and pulled up a few projects we thought he could do with little assistance (which is allowed) and let him choose which one he would like to do. He chose the "rusting nails" one. He has been documenting the results for the last few days and has to provide a log book with all the data and is doing great. But during this process I began to wonder what the benefit of knowing this information is, what are we really learning other than which chemical causes rust the most or the quickest. It's not required for the project, but I would really like for my son (and myself) to understand a little better why this experiment is important. Can you help?

Dona S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Fortson, Georgia
September 18, 2008


A. Mandy, what could happen is you could splash boiling water on yourself or catch your sleeve on fire. If you can avoid that kind of stuff, you're safe.

Hi, Dona. In my estimation the thing that your son is supposed to be learning is how science is conducted, including the methods and what words & phrases are used in explaining experiments & results. As an adult, you might tend to dismiss it as "obvious", but the routine, and the steps may not have been obvious to your son before he began -- he may be learning a lot very quickly.

For example, the log book or "lab book" is a great piece of learning for him. You number the pages and have him write, in pen, everything he does and everything he sees, along with the date & time. You never erase anything in the lab book. Even if you think an entry is wrong or irrelevant you strike it through once, but keep it legible. Why? Because the lab book contains his procedures and observations. If he sees some oily scum on the surface, he writes that down; if he sees some white powder settling at the bottom, he writes that down. Nothing ever changes his observations, that's why they are in pen. It doesn't matter if the other kids saw no oily scum or if the teacher never saw white powder settling because it is a fact that he did. The lab book is teaching him how to proceed, and to understand the difference between an observation and a theory (or we could say a fact versus an opinion), and the difference between science and 'junk science' ... and it's a fabulous confidence builder because if he saw it and he wrote it down with the date & time in a lab book there's just no questioning it, plus it's also what the real scientists do.

We could all use a refresher in this type of logical thinking. Good luck.

Regards,

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



Q. HI, I AM TRYING TO HELP MY YOUNGER BROTHER WITH HIS FOURTH GRADE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT, I MYSELF HAVE NEVER DONE A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT & AM HAVING SOME TROUBLE. HIS PROJECT IS "DOES VASELINE CHANGE THE TIME IT TAKES NAILS TO RUST?" NATURALLY I WOULD SAY YES, BUT WHERE DO YOU GET THE INFORMATION TO PERFORM THE EXPERIMENT? (E.G. WHAT TYPE OF WATER DO WE USE, WHAT TYPE OF NAILS, DO YOU SOAK THE NAILS OR JUST SPRAY THEM IN THE WATER DAILY, IF YOU DO SOAK THEM FOR HOW LONG BEFORE YOU START TO SEE ANYTHING OR NOTHING HAPPEN, WHERE DO WE FIND THE MATERIAL LIST, ETC) HIS TEACHERS HAVE SENT HOME A TIME LINE OF WHEN EVERYTHING IS DUE & AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT EVERYTHING SHOULD INCLUDE, TITLE, RESOURCES, PROCEDURE, MATERIALS, ETC. I AM JUST STRUGGLING ON HOW TO GET THINGS STARTED. ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD IDEAS ON BOOKS THAT COULD HELP US UNDERSTAND A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT.

BECKY C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
SISTER OF A STUDENT - TEXAS
September 27, 2008

"Everything Kids Science"
by Tom Robinson

on AbeBooks

or Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi, Becky. Thank heaven for big sisters; I sure miss mine. See if you can get "masonry nails". These are flat hardened steel and look sort of like long thin wedges more than nails. Get sandpaper and plastic gloves, and sand the surface of these flat nails so you know they are clean. This will leave them prone to rusting. Immediately coat some of them with Vaseline and put them in a bowl of tap water. Put some uncoated ones in a different bowl (so you don't get Vaseline on the uncoated one). Record what happens each day.

After the experiment is done, a week would be a good number of days, look up Cosmoline and its history as a rust preventer.

Regards,

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




Q. I'm doing a 7th grade science project and I need sum answers.My question is what will rust a nail faster Coke,Pepsi,Oil,Water,Bleach,or Rain.So if you got answers then halla at ya girl.PEACE

Thanx
Luv Ya grl
'Lil'Momma as Shai

Shai B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Huber heights, Ohio
October 20, 2008


thumbs up signDON'T REELA MATTER WHICH RUSTS A NAIL FASTEST, GRL! MATTERS IS YA LEARN TO TEST IT, AN RIGHT IT ALL DOWN! ANSWER YOU GET IS ANSWER THAT'S WRITE! HOLLERIN CAUSE YA TOL' WE SO!

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 31, 2008

----
Ed. note: Shai's posting isn't great traditional English, but it was understandable. Before criticizing, we should consider whether we express ourselves as clearly as she did. Many times we see good grammar but have no idea what the situation actually is, or what the person is trying to say :-)


Q. Hi, I'm in grade 7 and my prog is about can Coke dissolve an iron nail, Meat,rust,grease,eggshell,and an oyster shell. Please Help Me!

Love,Taylor

Taylor S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Mc Kinney, Texas
November 4, 2008


"Electricity and Electronics"
by Bonnet & Kean

on AbeBooks

or Amazon

(affil links)

November 5, 2008

A. Hi, Taylor. Get a notebook, number the pages, and get ready to write down everything you do and see in ink, including the date and time. Then ask your mom for 6 cups or preferably glass desert bowls. Get a couple of cans of coke and the 6 items. Put the 6 items in the cups or bowls, cover them with coke. Come back tomorrow and see what you see and write it down. Do the same thing about every day for at least a week. Show the notebook to your teacher and ask him/her what else is needed.

Regards,

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



November 5, 2008

Q. Hi I'm in 7 grade...

I'm testing witch pop dissolves an iron nail fastest and I'm wondering:
1)will a nail even dissolve within 1 month in a pop such as coke?
2)What iron nail will rust easiest? (uncoated?)
3)Will I even get good results? (if not, can I change the experiment to get better results?)
4)any thing else I should know?

Thank you! :)

Alex A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - Frankfort, Illinois

A. Hi, Alex. I doubt that the nail will completely disappear, but there will be some corrosion. A flat masonry nail would be best, but try to sand off any coating on whatever nail you use. Honest results are good results.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 6, 2008



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