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VINEGAR'S EFFECT ON RUSTY NAILS

Hi my name is Camille and I am in 8th grade. My friend and I are doing a project on scientific method and NEED research about different vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon]'s effects on removal of rust from nails. Our 3 vinegars are Balsamic, Apple Cider, and White distilled. We need the research of what vinegar will remove more rust, if it will at all. We NEED all this research so if anyone knows anything about this PLEASE HELP US!

Camille S
student - Oakwood Hills, Illinois, USA
2005

You are doing a project on "Scientific Method", Camille, so look up "The Scientific Method" in a science book or at least with a search engine. Then you see the orderly steps you need and you will understand the purpose of your experiment.

Personally, however, I wish students would do the experiment first and the confirming research later. My reason is that students are just learning, they lack any confidence from previous science successes, they are unsure of the validity of their methods, and they feel great pressure to make their results come out the way they think they are "supposed to" -- an absolutely perfect recipe for "junk science" instead of real science. This approach sways them to over-credit any confirming results, discount any contrary results, and make up explanations -- however wacky -- to try to talk themselves into believing their experiment came out the way it's supposed to.

So start by putting rusty objects in a bowl of each vinegar, and writing down what you observe. Good luck!

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

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2005

Camille,
Firstly let me say your type of question is similar to the ones my daughter asks me about her science experiments (6th grade); therefore I will start with the same type of answer I giver her: Read the available literature (on line, library, text book) then do the experiment and draw your own conclusions. Don't forget, your teacher is a resource that maybe you are not using.

Good luck,

Gene Packman
process supplier - Great Neck, New York