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Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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Needs Info for school project on removing rust from pennies
To whom it may concern, I am a third grade teacher and would like to do a science experiment with my class involving using citric acid ⇦[this on eBay or Amazon affil links] to remove rust from pennies. I stumbled across your website. Please send information and/or other websites. Thank you very much. Take care.
Ann B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA
2000
Do you want web sites or information on cleaning pennies in citric acid , or both?
![trevor crichton](../portraits/trevor_crichton.jpg)
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2000
I vaguely recall an experiment in one of my son's science books about cleaning pennies with lemon juice. As I recall, the gist of the experiment was to show that the tarnish could be removed from pennies using lemon juice and that the reaction was much faster if a little bit of salt was added to the solution.
The book is long gone, so I don't have the details. Sorry.
Also, in the interest of scientific accuracy - pennies will not have rust. Rust is the product of corrosion of iron and consists of iron oxides and hydroxides. The brown tarnish on pennies will be copper oxides.
![larry hanke](../portraits/larry_hanke.jpg)
Larry Hanke
Minneapolis, Minnesota
2000
Note to students with science projects: Please see our
FAQ on Cleaning Pennies; it will tell you everything you probably want to know! Good luck.
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