O-level [Link].
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RUSTING OF IRON
When iron is left in damp air for some time it become covered with a brown coat called rust. Chemically
rust is hydrated iron III oxide Fe2O3.xH2O.
Disadvantage of rusting
1. Weaken objects made of iron
2. Makes objects made of iron look ugly
Conditions necessary for rusting
1. Oxygen not air
2. Water
Experiment to show that oxygen and water is necessary for rusting
The experiment is set up as shown above and left for several days
1. Test tube A contains nails and moist air
2. Test tube B contains nails and dry air because moisture is removed by anhydrous
calcium chloride
3. Test tube C contains nail and air free water; boiling removes dissolved air from
water while a layer of oil prevents entry of air into water
Observation after several days
1. In test tube a rusting took place because there is both oxygen and water necessary
for rusting to take place.
2. In test tube B rusting did not take place because there was not water
3. In test tube C rusting did not take place due to absence of air
Conclusion
Both oxygen and water are necessary for rusting to take place
Method of preventing rusting
1. Keeping iron and steel equipment in air or water free environment, i.e., in the dry
places (from water).
2. Oiling (protects equipment from water and oxygen).
3. Painting (protects from both air and water)
4 Tin plating protects iron from both air and water; however, tin-plate is only effective provided the
layer of tin remains intact
5 Galvanizing: this is coating iron with zinc. Zinc protects iron because it is passive in air
but also it can reduce iron III to ion.
Exercise
1. Which one of the following is the formula of the brown solid that is formed
on iron when left exposed in damp air?
A. Fe2O3
B. Fe3O4
C. Fe2O3. XH2O
D. Fe3O2. X H2O
2. The hydroxide which turns brown when exposed to air from the list below
A. Copper II hydroxide
B. Iron II hydroxide
C. Lead II hydroxide
D. Iron III hydroxide
3. A steel tank is protected from rusting when it is connected to metal M as
shown below
tank M
Which one of the following metal is not likely to be M
A. Aluminium
B. Zinc
C. Magnesium
D. copper
4. The formula of rust is
A. Fe(OH)2
b. FeO.nH2O
C. Fe2O3.nH2O
D. Fe2O2(OH)
5. Which of the following hydroxides when exposed to air turns brown?
A. Pb(OH)2
B. Fe(OH)2
C. Zn(OH)2
D. Mg(OH)2
6.
Oil layer
Iron nail
Boiled water
From the experiment above, the purpose of the oil layer is
A. to prevent presence of water vapour
B. to prevent entry of air
C. to absorb carbon dioxide from air
D. to restrict presence of dust into water
For question 7 one or more of the answers given may be correct. Read each questions
carefully and then indicate the correct answer according to the following
A. If 1, 2, 3, only are correct
B. If 1 and 3 only are correct
C. If 2 and 4 only are correct
D. If 4 only is correct
7. Iron is prevented from rusting by
1. greasing
2. electroplating
3. galvanizing
4. neutralizing
8. (a) State the conditions necessary for rusting to take place.
(b) During an investigation to show the conditions under which an
iron nail may rust. An experiment was set up as shown in figure
below
State the condition which was being investigated.
(c) State one disadvantage of rusting
(d) (i) What is galvanized iron?
(ii) State one use of galvanized iron
9. Rusting a process that occurs when an iron object is exposed to
dump air.
(a) Give the name of rust
(b) State two disadvantages of rusting
(c) State three methods that can effectively prevent rusting of objects
10 (a) State the conditions necessary for rusting to occur
(b) During an investigation to show the conditions under which an
iron nail can rust, an experiment was set up as shown below
cotton Anhydrous
calcium chloride
Iron nail
State the condition which was being eliminated
(c) State two disadvantages of rusting
(d) (i) What is galvanized iron?
(ii) State two uses of galvanized iron
11 (a) State two conditions necessary for rusting to occur.
(b) Draw a diagram of the setup of the apparatus that can be used to
show that iron does not rust in absence of oxygen.
(c) Explain why iron coated with zinc does not rust even if the zinc
layer is cracked.
12 (a) Define the term rusting
(b) Draw a well labeled diagram t show that rusting cannot take
place in the absence of oxygen (1 mark)
(c) Two Iron rods X and Y were connected with a wire to
magnesium and lead metal respectively as shown in figure
below
Lead
Magnesium
Wire
Wire
Iron rod X
Iron rod Y
The Iron were left in the open for several months
State what would be observed on
(i) Iron rod X
(ii) Explain your answer in (c)(i)
(iii) Iron rod Y
(iv) Explain your answer in (c)(iii)
13 (a) With aid of a diagram describe an experiment you would use to
show that rusting requires oxygen and water.
(b) (a) Describe three ways of preventing rusting
Answers
1. D 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. B 6. D 7. A
8. (a) Water and oxygen
(b) Oxygen
(c) Weaken iron objects
Make ion objects look ugly
(d) (i) Iron coated with zinc
(ii) Making water tanks
Roofing iron sheet
9. (a) Hydrated iron III oxide, Fe2O3.xH2O
(b) Weaken iron objects
Make ion objects look ugly
(c) - Oiling
- Painting
- galvanization
10. (a) Oxygen and water
(b) Water
(c) Weaken iron objects
Make ion objects look ugly
(d) (i) Iron coated with zinc
(ii) Making water tanks
Roofing iron sheet
11. (a) Water and oxygen
(b)
(c) Zinc is higher in electrochemical series therefore reduces
oxidised iron oxide to iron
12 (a) Oxidation of iron in presence of oxygen and water to form
brown coat
(b)
(c) (i) Rusting did not take place
(ii) Magnesium reduces rust to iron
(iii) Brown coat formed
(iv) Leadis below iron in the reactivity series thus cannot
reduce rust
Experiment to show that oxygen and water is necessary for rusting
Fig. 1
The experiment is set up as shown above and left for several days
1. Test tube A contains nails and moist air
2. Test tube B contains nails and dry air because moisture is removed by anhydrous
calcium chloride
3. Test tube C contains nail and air free water; boiling removes dissolved air from
water while a layer of oil prevents entry of air into water
Observation after several days
1. In test tube a rusting took place because there is both oxygen and water necessary
for rusting to take place.
2. In test tube B rusting did not take place because there was not water
3. In test tube C rusting did not take place due to absence of air
Conclusion
Both oxygen and water are necessary for rusting to take place
(b) – galvanizing, oiling and painting
