Rust Prevention Experiment

[HeyIHaveAProblem]

Hi, I'm am currently doing a science experiment in my High School chemistry class. The title of my experiment is, "The effect of the treatment of iron on the amount of rust produced." My problem is the treatment of iron part. So far, I have these three treatments: Water (H20), saltwater, and vegetable oil. But my teacher says that these three treatments have nothing to do with each other... so therefore, I need to come up with different treatments that are similar.

Any help? I've tried looking it up online, but all i'm coming up with is rust prevention products. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[bumab]

Maybe different strength acids and bases? That way it's all centered around the water (at 7.0)

[C1ay]

Originally Posted by HeyIHaveAProblem

Hi, I'm am currently doing a science experiment in my High School chemistry class. The title of my experiment is, "The effect of the treatment of iron on the amount of rust produced." My problem is the treatment of iron part. So far, I have these three treatments: Water (H20), saltwater, and vegetable oil. But my teacher says that these three treatments have nothing to do with each other... so therefore, I need to come up with different treatments that are similar.

Any help? I've tried looking it up online, but all i'm coming up with is rust prevention products. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Why don't you explain your problem a little more? You say you have an experiment. Is this experiment supposed to test some hypothesis? What is that hypothesis? Are you trying to demonstrate what causes rust and how to prevent it? A little more explanation on what you are trying to accomplish will help us to help you.

[HeyIHaveAProblem]

Originally Posted by C1ay

Why don't you explain your problem a little more? You say you have an experiment. Is this experiment supposed to test some hypothesis? What is that hypothesis? Are you trying to demonstrate what causes rust and how to prevent it? A little more explanation on what you are trying to accomplish will help us to help you.

I am not really trying to prove anything, I just thought it would be fun and easy experiment to conduct. We can do anything that has to do with science as long as the difficulty is up to our level. My hypothesis if I use saltwater, then the amount of rust produced would be the greatest. However... like I said earlier, I cannot use this treatment because the treatments have nothing to do with each other.

The hard part is coming up with three (or more) different types of treatments that are similar (such as 3 different types of oils). Also, vegetable oil cannot be used as a treatment because it would completely prevent rust (also because I already know the results beforehand).

Also, before you say anything. This experiment is the easiest that I could find that is "up to my level". yes, i'm lazy

[HeyIHaveAProblem]

Originally Posted by bumab

Maybe different strength acids and bases? That way it's all centered around the water (at 7.0)

nice idea, except what causes rust is the oxygen in the liquid? i don't know. It might work

[Fishteacher73]

i could see two other ways, instead of the "rust inducing" medium, try different types of iron alloys. Or you could paint the ingots with various types of paint/ sealant/ etc.

With this would only use one thing to cause the rusting.

[C1ay]

Originally Posted by HeyIHaveAProblem

My hypothesis if I use saltwater, then the amount of rust produced would be the greatest.

Could you then use different strengths of saltwater to test your hypothesis, maybe one with no salt, one with moderate salt and one with a liberal portion of salt?

[pgrmdave]

I think it would be best done with four peices of iron -

one peice of Iron left alone with no solution on it - the control
one with distilled water on it
one with a very small amount
one with a moderate amount
one with as much salt as will disolve in the water

Then you test each for rust, to see which has the most.

[Fishteacher73]

When you say salt water do you mean water with sodium chloride desolved into it or a synthetic(or real for that matter) sea water (They are increadibly different mixtures).

[HeyIHaveAProblem]

Ok, thank you all. I'm going to do the amount of saltwater on the amount of rust.