SMK BATU LINTANG

CHEMISTRY ASSESSMENT 2016 (962/4)

TITLE :
Test for the corrosion of iron nails in different solutions of different pH.

Group Members : Ashleigh Chua

Theodora Yio
Joel Yeong
Jack Lee
Class : U6S3
Subject : Chemistry Paper 4
Teacher-in-charge : Mdm Jennie Lau

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped us in this thesis. First
and foremost, I would like to thank our Chemistry teacher, Madam Jennie Lau Ik Fei.
Without her help, our thesis would not be as complete as it is.
Secondly, we also appreciate the help of the lab assistants who have helped to prepare the
apparatus and materials needed for our experiment.
Besides that, we also want to thank our parents who gave all their support, be it emotional or
financial support.

TITLE
Test for the corrosion of iron nails in different solutions of different pH.

ABSTRACT
We have conducted an experiment to test the effects of different solutions of different pH on
the corrosion of iron nails. We used universal indicator, pH meter, and weighing scale to
obtain results for the experiment. In short, different solutions of different pH have a different
effect on corrosion of iron nail.

TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TITLE
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF RESEARCH
LITERATURE STUDY
PROBLEM STATEMENT
AIM
METHODOLOGY
RESULTS
INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION
PRECAUTION
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
APPENDIX

1
2
2
4
5
6
6
6
8
11
13
14
15
16

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF RESEARCH

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the effect of pH level on corrosion rate. The
necessity of this experiment arises from the need to demonstrate how a potentially corrosive
situation may be recognised and avoided.
pH, originally defined by Danish biochemist Soren Peter Lauritz Sorensen in 1909, is a
measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions. The term pH was derived from the manner in
which the hydrogen ion concentration is calculated, it is the negative logarithm of the
hydrogen ion (H+) concentration, where log is a base - 10 logarithm. According to the
Compact Oxford English Dictionary, the 'p' stands for the German word for "power'', potenz,
so pH is an abbreviation for "power of hydrogen''.

LITERATURE STUDY
Corrosion is a natural process, which converts a refined metal to a more stable form, such as
its oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide. It is the gradual destruction of materials (usually metals) by
chemical reaction with their environment.
pH effects the rate of corrosion of metals. A higher pH means there are fewer free hydrogen
ions, and that a change of one pH unit reflects a tenfold change in the concentrations of the
hydrogen ion. For example, there are 10 times as many hydrogen ions available at a pH of 7
than at a pH of 8. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is considered to be neutral.
Substances with Ph of less than 7 are acidic and substances with pH greater than 7 are
considered to be basic.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
How does the pH of different solutions affect the corrosion of iron nails?

AIM
To investigate the corrosion of metals in different solutions of different pH values.

METHODOLOGY
Hypothesis:
Different solutions of different pH have different effects on the corrosion of metals
Variables:
Manipulated variable

: pH of solution used

Responding variable : The effect of corrosion on metal

Constant variable

: Type of metal used

Materials and apparatus:

250ml measuring cylinder, Electronic balance, 500ml Beakers, 30g Table salt, stirrer, 200ml
vinegar, 200ml distilled water, 200ml salt solution, 200ml Carbonated drink (Cola), 5 iron
nails, 200ml coffee, 200ml cleaning agent (bleach) , 200ml soap solution, Universal indicator,
pH meter, Buffer solution

Procedure:
1. 30g of table salt is measured with the electronic balance.
2. 200ml of distilled water is measured with a measuring cylinder and poured it into a
beaker.
3. The salt is dissolved with the distilled water in the beaker. The solution is stirred until fully
dissolved.
4. An iron nail is put into the salt solution
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5. Mass of iron nail, pH of solution, and universal indicator is recorded at intervals of 2 days
for 10 days.
6. Steps 4-5 are repeated using 200ml vinegar, 200ml distilled water, 20ml carbonated drink
and 200ml coffee, 200ml cleaning agent, 200ml soap solution, 200ml sodium chloride
solution.

RESULTS
After several tests, the results are recorded and tabulated accordingly.
Observation of iron nail after 9 days ( mass of iron nail, g)
Type of

Distilled

Solution

Water

Day 1
Day 3
Day 5
Day 7
Day 9

1.21
1.31
1.30
1.30
1.32

Vinegar

1.24
1.24
1.20
1.18
1.10

Carbonated

Coffee

Sodium

Soap

Cleaning

drink (cola)

Chloride

Solution

Agent

1.21
1.22
1.19
1.20
1.20

Solution
1.25
1.26
1.25
1.26
1.27

1.21
1.23
1.27
1.25
1.27

1.23
1.09
0.86
0.86
0.83

1.25
1.27
1.26
1.25
1.25

Observation of iron nail after 9 days (mass of iron, g)

1.4
1.2
Distilled Water

Vinegar
Carbonated drink (cola)

0.8
Mass of iron, g

Coffee
0.6

Sodium Chloride Solution

Soap Solution

0.4

Cleaning Agent

0.2
0
Day 1 Day 3 Day 5 Day 7 Day 9
Number of days

Observation of iron nail after 9 days ( pH value)

Type of

Distilled

Solution

Water

Day 1

7.1

Vinegar

2.7

Carbonated

Coffee

Sodium

Soap

Cleaning

drink (cola)

Chloride

Solution

Agent

2.9

Solution
6.0

10.3

11.2

5.2

Day 3
Day 5
Day 7
Day 9

6.2
7.9
7.6
7.6

3.2
3.1
3.7
4.0

3.6
3.3
3.8
3.9

4.9
5.0
5.2
5.1

5.3
5.7
6.1
6.1

10.0
10.2
10.5
10.4

11.0
10.0
9.8
9.8

Observation of iron nail after 9 days ( pH value)

12

10

Distilled Water

Vinegar
Carbonated drink (cola)

pH value

Coffee
Sodium Chloride Solution
Soap Solution

Cleaning Agent

0
Day 1

Day 3

Day 5

Day 7

Day 9

Number of days

Observation of universal indicator after 9 days

Type of

Distilled

Solution

Water

Vinegar

Carbonated
drink (cola)

Coffee

Sodium

Soap

Cleaning

Chloride

Solution

Agent

10

Day 1

Green

Light red Red

Red

Solution
Green

Purple

Green-ish

Day 3
Day 5

Yellow
Light

Red
Red

Red
Red

Red
Red

Green
Orange

Purple
Purple

blue
Light green
Pale yellow

Day 7
Day 9

orange
Green
Green

Red
Red

Red
Red

Red
Red

Yellow
Dark

Purple
Blue

Pale yellow
Pale yellow

yellow

INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION

1.) Does different pH value affects the rate of corrosion/rusting of the metal?
Yes. Different pH value affects the rate of corrosion/rusting of the metal.

2.) What must I consider when observing the corrosion/rusting of the metals?
Oxygen: Like water, oxygen increases the rate of corrosion. Corrosion can take place in an
oxygen deficient environment, but the rate of the corrosion reaction is generally much slower.
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In immersed conditions, if an electrolyte is in contact with the area of metal containing more
oxygen than the electrolyte in contact with another area of the metal, the higher oxygen
concentration area is cathodic relative to the remaining surface. An oxygen concentration cell
then forms, which results in rapid corrosion.
Temperature: Corrosion reactions are electrochemical in nature and usually accelerate with
increasing temperature; therefore, corrosion proceeds faster in warmer environments than in
cooler ones.
Chemical Salts: Chemical salts increase the rate of corrosion by increasing the efficiency
(conductivity) of the electrolyte. The most common chemical salt is sodium chloride, a major
element of seawater. Sodium chloride deposited on atmospherically exposed surfaces also
acts as a hygroscopic material (i.e., it extracts moisture from the air), which then increases the
corrosion in non-immersed areas.
Humidity: Humidity and time-of-wetness play a large role in promoting and accelerating
corrosion rates. Time-of-wetness refers to the length of time an atmospherically exposed
substrate has sufficient moisture to support the corrosion process. The wetter the
environment, the more corrosion is likely to occur.
Pollutants: Acid rain (a chemical by-product from manufacturing and processing plants), and
chlorides (in coastal areas) promote corrosion. Acid gases, such as carbon dioxide, can also
dissolve

in

film

of

moisture

in

contact

with

the

metal.

3.) What environmental conditions are needed for iron to rust?

The environmental conditions needed for rusting are iron and oxygen in the presence of
water or air moisture.
4.) Does iron rust faster in higher/lower pH value than pH value of 7?
Vinegar, which is about 5 percent acetic acid in water, will tend to remove rust rather than
cause it. Bleach is sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), which releases large quantities of oxygen
and chlorine gas as it decomposes. These oxygen and chlorine gases are very powerful
oxidizing agents. Rust is oxidized steel, so these oxidizing agents are very good at oxidizing
steel into rust. Bleach is very effective at rusting steel, but it is not because of its pH. In fact,
the pH of bleach is high because alkali (NaOH) is deliberately added to bleach to slow down

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this decomposition (bleach wouldn't be as useful if it instantly decomposed).

5.) What affects the inconsistency of the rusting and results obtained?
One of the reason the results obtained are inconsistent are due to bacteria in the air
dissolving into the solution. Furthermore, solution such as green tea and coffee ferment over
time due to the exposure to the bacteria in the air.
6.) Why does iron nail gain weight on rusting?
Rust is iron-oxide, a molecule consisting of iron and oxygen. When rust forms, the mass of
the iron object is increased by the mass of oxygen that has combined with some of the iron.

7.) Why does the observation of weight of the iron nail fluctuates?
Corrosion is the deterioration of a metal. When the metal corrode an oxide will form on the
surface exposed to the corrosive medium and the weight increased is caused the oxide
formed. This is partially because of the weight of Fe2O3 or Fe3O4 which is heavier than the
mass of Fe. The oxides are not so adherent to the metal surface and this may cause the
inconsistency of the final weight of the iron nail.
8.) Why does the colour of the cleaning agent solution turn pink after two days when iron nail
is added to it?
The pink colour present in the solution is suspected to be caused by the presence of
transition ion.

9.) Why does the universal indicator turn yellow even though the pH value of the cleaning
agent is recorded to be around 9 at the 5th day of the experiment?
The inconsistency of colour is suspected to be the decolourisation caused by the chemical in
cleaning agent.

Precaution:

13

* Plastic wrap is used to cover the beaker to prevent the bacteria in the air from polluting the
solutions.
* The amount of droplets of universal indicator has to be the same.
* Use different pH meter to measure the different solution to prevent the contamination
between the solutions.
* Rinse the dropper thoroughly when extracting the solution from each beakers to avoid
contamination.
* Dry the nail first before weighing to prevent from weighing the mass of water adhered to
the iron nail.
* Rinse the pH meter in buffer solution first before immersing into the solution to get a
constant reading.

CONCLUSION
Through this assignment, it can be seen that rusting can be caused by various reason.
One of the reason is due to the different solution the metal is submerged in. When the nail is
submerged in the solution, it is seen that the pH and mass undergoes fluctuation in reading.
This is probably due to the external factors.

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However as an overview, the pH value of the solution decreases throughout the

experiment and become more acidic. This is because hydrogen ions is released during rusting.
Next, the mass of the iron is also decreased over time. This is due to the corrosion
experienced by the iron nail due to rusting. The fluctuation of the reading is probably due to
the attachment of the oxygen to the iron nail which is much lighter in weight.
Unlike the reading of mass and pH value, the reading recorded when universal
indicator test is carried out showed consistency except for the readings recorded by the
cleaning agent. There are several reasons for the inconsistency as mentioned in the discussion
above.
As a conclusion, there are various factor that can influence the rusting phenomenon as
it is shown through this assignment.

REFERENCES

1. Jones, Denny (1996). Principles and Prevention of Corrosion (2nd edition). Upper Saddle
River ,Prentice Hall. New Jersey.

2. Gerhardus H. Koch, Michiel P.H.Brongers, Neil G. Thompson, Y. Paul Virmani and Joe H.
Payer (September 2001). Corrosion Costs And Preventive Strategies In The United States
report by CC Technologies Laboratories, Inc. to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
United States.
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3. I. A. Ammar, S. Riad (February 1958). J. Phys. Chem., 1958, 62 (2nd edition), pp 150
154. Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
4. JE Breakell, M Siegwart, K Foster, D Marshall, M Hodgson, R Cottis, S Lyon (2005).
Management of Accelerated Low Water Corrosion in Steel Maritime Structures, Volume
634 of CIRIA Series, United States.
5. A.K. Varshneya (1994). Fundamentals of inorganic glasses. Gulf Professional
Publishing. India.
6. R. Zuo; D. rnek; B.C. Syrett; R.M. Green; C.-H. Hsu; F.B. Mansfeld; T.K. Wood (2004).
Inhibiting mild steel corrosion from sulfate-reducing bacteria using antimicrobialproducing biofilms in Three-Mile-Island process water. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.
7. Daniel Robles (10 December 2012). Potable Water Pipe Condition Assessment For a
High Rise Condominium in The Pacific Northwest". GSG Group, Inc. Dan Robles, PE.
Switzerland.
8. Philip A. Schweitzer (2010). Fundamentals of corrosion Mechanisms, Causes and
Preventative Methods, Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Germany.
9. Boltres, Bettine (2015). "When Glass meets Pharma". France.

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APPENDIX
1. Iron Nail in Salt Solution ( 10/03/16)

2. Iron Nail in Bleach Solution ( 10/03/16)

3. Iron Nail in Coffee Solution ( 10/03/16)

4. Iron Nail in Soap Solution ( 10/03/16)

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5. Iron Nail in Distilled Water ( 10/03/16)

6. Iron Nail in Vinegar Solution ( 10/03/16)

18

7. Iron Nail in Cola Solution ( 10/03/16)

Preparation of Iron Nail

solutions

Preparation of

19

Solutions prepared for experiment

20