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INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
ON

Metal coupling on
rusting of iron

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Submitted by
Ajay Panwar

Roll no :Std (XIIth)

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ajay panwar has

17successfully completed the investigatory
18project titled Metal coupling on rusting of
19iron and submitted to the Dept. of Physics
20,Montfort secondary school, Nagpur and carried
21out by him under the guidance and supervision
22of Ms. Savita Ajay during the academic session
232014-2015. The said work has been assessed
24and found to be up to the standard envisaged
25for the level of course.
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DATE:-

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Rev.Bro.Jagan Mohan

Reddy
32(Physics teacher)
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(Principal)

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INDEX

Sr.no

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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CONTENTS

Pg

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
Rusting on
electrochemical
mechanism
Methods to prevent
corrosion
OBJECTIVE
MATERIAL REQUIRED
DIAGRAM
PROCEDURE
OBSERVATION
RESULT
PRECAUTION

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5.
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7.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Primarily I would thank God for being able to

41complete this project with success. Then I
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would like to express my sincere gratitude to

43my physics teacher Mrs.
for her
44vital support ,guidance and encouragement
45without which this project would not have come
46forth, and lab assistance and support
47throughout the project. I would like to thank my
48friends who have helped me with their valuable
49suggestions and guidance has been helpful in
50various phases of the completion of the project.
51Last but not the least I would like to thank my
52classmates who have helped me a lot..
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-AJAY PANWAR

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Roll No:STD 12th

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INTRODUCTION

Metals and Alloys undergo rusting and

62corrosion. The process by which some metals
63when exposed to atmospheric condition i.e.,
64moist air, carbon dioxide from undesirable
65compounds on the surface is known as
66corrosion. The compounds formed are usually
67oxides. Rusting is also a type of corrosion but
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the term is restricted to iron or products made

69from it. Iron is easily prone to rusting making
70its surface rough. Chemically, rust is a hydrated
71ferric oxide
Fe2O3.nH2O .
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Rusting an Electrochemical Mechanism-

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Rusting may be explained by an electrochemical

79mechanism. In the presence of moist air
80containing dissolved oxygen or carbon dioxide,
81the commercial iron behave as if composed of
82small electric cells. At anode of cell, iron passes
83into solution as ferrous ions.
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Fe
Fe 2+ + 2e85The electron moves towards the cathode and
86form hydroxyl ions.
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H2O + (O) + 2e2OH88Under the influence of dissolved oxygen the
89ferrous ions and hydroxyl ions interact to form
90rust i.e. hydrated ferric oxide.
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2Fe2+ + H2O + (O)

2Fe3+ +6OH -

2Fe3+ + 2OHFe2O3.3H2O (Rust)

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Methods of prevention of corrosion and rusting

Some of the methods used to prevent corrosion

103and rusting are discussed below:102

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Barrier protection: - In this

method, a barrier film is introduced
between iron surface and atmospheric
air. The film is obtained by painting
varnishing etc.

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Galvanization: - the metallic iron is

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covered by a layer of more reactive metal

such as zinc. The active metal losses
electrons in preference of iron. Thus,
protecting from rusting and corrosion.
Zn
Zn2+ + 2e-

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Objective :

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Materials required: -

Two petridishes, four iron nails, beaker, sand

134paper, wire gauge. Gelatin, copper, zinc and
135magnesium strips, potassium ferricyanide
136solution, phenolphthalein.
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Diagram:-

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Procedure:-

1. Clean the surface of iron nails with the help of

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sand paper. Wash them with carbon tetrachloride
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and dry on filter paper.
1552.
Wind a clean strip around one nail, a clean copper
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wire around the second and clean magnesium strip
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around the third nail. Put all these three and a

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fourth nail in petridish so that they are not in
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contact with each other.
1603.
Preparation of agar agar solution. Heat about 3g
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of agar agar in 100ml of water taken in a beaker
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until solution becomes clear. Add about 1ml of 0.1M
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potassium ferri-cyanide solution, 1ml of phenol164
phthalein solution and stir well the contents.
1654.
Fill petridishes with hot agar agar solution in
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such a way that only lower half of nails are covered
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with liquid.
1685.
Keep the covered petridishes undisturbed for one
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day or so.
1706.
The liquid sets to gel on cooling. Two types of
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patches are observed around the rusted nail, one is
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blue and the other pink. Blue patch is due to the
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reaction between Ferrous ions and potassium
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ferricyanide to form potassium Ferro- ferricyanide,
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KFe[Fe(CN)6] whereas pink patch is due to the
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formation of hydroxyl ions which turns colorless
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phenolphthalein to pink.
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Observation:-

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S.No

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Metal pair

Colour of
patch

Nail rusts
or not

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1. Iron-zinc

Ironmagnesium
Iron-copper

3.
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Iron-nail

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Conclusion: -

It is clear from the observations that coupling

183of iron with more electropositive metal such as
184zinc and magnesium resists corrosion and
185rusting of iron. Coupling of iron with less
186electropositive metal such as copper increases
187rusting.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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THE GIVEN SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS TAKEN

198FROM
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Comprehensive (Practical Chemistry XIIth)

Internet ,www.google.com
th
NCERT Chemistry textbook (XII )

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