Bicol UniversityCollege

of EngineeringLegazpi
City
AY 2022 –

2023DEPARTMENTOFCIVILENGINEERI

NG

Experiment #3 in Chemistry for Engineers:

NAILS EXPERIMENT

Engr. Junjun A.

PajaraInstructor

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I. INTRODUCTION

A redox reaction is a chemical reaction in which electrons are transferredbetween

the two reactants involved. The change in the oxidation states of thereacting species can
be used to identify this electron transfer. Redox reactionsare oxidation-reduction
chemical processes in which the oxidation states of thereactants change. The term 'redox'
is an abbreviation for reduction-oxidation. Allredoxreactions may be divided into two
categories: reduction reactions andoxidationreactions.InredoxorOxidation-
Reductionprocesses, the oxidationand reduction reactions always occur concurrently. In a
chemical reaction, thematerial being reduced is known as the oxidizing agent, whereas
the substancebeing oxidized is known as the reducing agent.

The rusting of nails experiment is a popular demonstration of the notion ofredox

(oxidation-reduction) processes in chemistry classrooms. A metal nail
isexposedtoair,water,andotherliquidsinthisexperiment,resultingintheproductionofrust,ano
xideofiron.Thisexperimentisfrequentlyusedtodemonstrate that oxygen from the air may
convert metal to an oxide and thatwater can function as an oxidizing agent. The rusting of
the nail is also anexample of an exothermic process, in which energy is released in the
form ofheat.Thisexperimentisagreatapproachtodemonstratethefundamentalconcepts of
redox reactions.

II. PRACTICALAPPLICATION

Aspartofanexperiment,nailsaresubmergedinvariousliquidsorsettings to track how

quickly they rust. Iron gets oxidized during the rustingprocess,which happens when
oxygen from the air around the iron reacts with itto form iron oxide. Several liquids
exhibit various characteristics throughout thecourse of the experiment that could either
speed up, slow down, or even stop thegrowth of rust on the nail. The significance of this
experiment extends beyondnails to all metals.

III. OBJECTIVES

● Observe the rate at which they will produce rust.

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IV. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT

MATERIALS DESCRIPTION Specification Quantity

1.
This measures the weight of theset Kitchen 1
Weighingsc of nails used and displays WeighingScale
ale itinvariousunitsofmass.

2.
Plasticswitharatingof2,3,or Plasticrecta 8
Plasticcont 5. These were used ngularcontai
ainer ascontainersfortheexperiment. ner

3.Nails
Thiswasusedasthesoluteintheexperi Ironnails 24
ment.

4.Water
Thiswasusedasthesolventintheexperi Tapwater 100mL
ment.

5.Alcohol
Thiswasusedasthesolventintheexperi Isopropylalcohol 100mL
ment.

6.Vinegar
Thiswasusedasthesolventintheexperi Whitevinegar 100mL
ment.

7.Sprite
Thiswasusedasthesolventintheexperi Sprite 100mL
ment.

8.Oil
Thiswasusedasthesolventintheexperi Canola 100mL
ment.
Oil/CookingOil
9.
Thiswasusedasthesolventintheexperi Muriaticacid 100mL
Muriaticaci ment.
d
10.Salt
Thiswasusedasaddedsolventtowateri TableSalt 10g
ntheexperiment.

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V. PROCEDURE

a. Pre-Experiment

This section will enumerate steps before conducting the actual experiment

1. Examine the work area, understand the experiment objectives, preparethe

materials, and equipment to be used, and familiarize the proceduresin detail.
2. Ensure that the experiment and laboratory operation which will take
placecomplies with all applicable laws, regulations, and other policies.
3. Determinehowhazardousthematerialstobeusedandprepareprecautionary
measures

b. Experiment Proper
This section provides a step-by-step list conducted during
theexperiment.
1. Fillupcontainerswithaspecificvolumeofthedifferentsubstancestobe used
2. Selecteight(8)setsofthree(3)nailstobeusedthathavethesamelength and don’t
show any signs of rusting.
3. Weighthenailsand writedownobservations.
4. Placeasetofthreenailsinacontainerandcover.Forthedirt/airnails, no cover is
needed.
5. Label the cover with the appropriate mixtures that were used.
6. Observethenailseveryweekandtakeaphotoandwritedownobservations.Allow
the nails to rust for a month.

c. Post-Experiment
This section summarizes the procedure conducted after the experiment.
1. After one month, measure the change in the mass of each set of nails.
2. Analyze and make an interpretation based on the data gathered.

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VI. DATAGATHERING

OBSERVATIONS

MIXTURE WEEK1 WEEK2 WEEK3 WEEK4

1.Vinegar ● Nodiscoloratio ● Solution ● The nailshas ● The surfaceof

nofthemixture islightbrownin no rustbut thesolution
● Littlebubblesa color thesolutionh hasformed
re ● Thesolutionf asformedalm adark
formedaround ormed ost asolid- brownfoaman
thenail analmost foamsubstan dtheliquidben
● The solid- ceon eath it
nailstexturecha foamlikesu itssurface islightbrown
ngedfromshiny bstancearou ● A thin ● Final
todull nd thenails layerof weightis35g
● Nails apaperlikesu
aredarker bstanceisobs
incolor but erved
thenailitselfha ● Thecolorofth
snorust esubstancefo
rmed
adarkerbrow
n
colorcompar
edtoweek2

2.Alcohol ● NoBubbles ● Nochange ● Nochange ● Slight

● No color yellowofthesol
ofmixture utionisobserve
● No change d
● Norustonthenai
onthenail
ls
● Finalweight5
0g

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3.Oil ● No color ● Nochange ● Nochange ● Nochange

ofmixture ● Final
● Nobubbles weight50g
● No change
onthenail

4.Water ● Lightbrownc ● Rust ● Solution ● Sedimentsofru

olor isobserved has a st fullycovers
ofmixture onthe nail lightbrownc thebottomofth
● Rustsparticles butnotcomple olor esolution
canbe seen telycovered ● The ● Rustisseenar
onthebottomo thewholenail nailshave ound thenails
fthemixture ● Colorofthes rustalmost80 ● Final
olution %iscovered weight40g
islightbrown
● Sedimentsofru
st isobserved
atthebottomof
thesolution

5.Water ● Lightbrowntol ● Rustparticles ● Thesolutionh ● Thesubstanceb

w/Salt ightyellowcolo areobserved asa ecamegloomyt
r ofmixture tobe darkerbrown othepoint the
● Smallbubble floatingonthe colorcompar nailisnotseen
sareobserved water edto week ● Little rust
● Rust ● Rustonthena 2and is isseenaroundt
isformedaroun ils likeswampy he
d thenail but havebeenob water nailscompare
notfound at served andrustpartic d tothe
thebottomofth ● Solution hasa lesareobserv watersubstan
esolution light edhoveringar ce
browncolor ound ● Finalweight
thesolution 52.5g
● Rust
isobservedo
nthenails

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6.Sprite ● Slight ● Color of ● Thecolorofth ● The

colorchangeoft thesolutionbeca e substancebecam
hemixture mebrown solutionbeca e adarker
● Textureofnailc ● Nails me browncolorandl
hanged becamedarker adarkbrown ooks like
fromshiny to ● Norustonthenai ● Nails analcoholicdrin
dullshade l gottendarkerc k
ompared ● Thenailsaresti
toweek2 ll dark incolor
● Still no ● Finalweight5
rustis 5g
observedont
henails
7.MuriaticAci ● Formation ● Bubblesareo ● Bubblesarest ● Bubblesarest
d ofBubbles bservedarou ill seen ill seen onthe
● Smoke nd thenail onsurface surfaceof
isobservedas ● Thenail ofthesolution thesolution
soon as changes ● Nails ● A foam
thenail intextureandis aredarker likesubstance
isexposed darker incoloran isformed
tothesolution ● Thesolutionis dseem ● Stains of
● Solution a tohave rustare seen
changedcolor darkbrownco norustatal onthe
fromtransparen lor l plasticcontain
ttolight er
yellowcolor ● Finalweight
● Textureofthen 47.5g
ail
changedfrom
shiny todull

8.Air ● Observedlittler ● Rusting ● Nails ● Aslightshineof

ustingofthenail canbe arecovered the nail isstill
observedon inrust and seen butit is
the nailbut thestains nowcovered
not thecontainer inrust
fullycovering ● Brightbrown ● Stains of
theentirenail coloris rustis seen
observedon onthe
thecontainer plasticcontain
while er
thenailshave ● 45g
adarkerbrow
n colorofrust

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VII. POST LAB QUESTIONS

A. Writethemostprobablereactions(balancedchemicalequations)thathappenedineachcase,ifany.

CASE CHEMICALREACTIONWITHNAILS(
Fe3+)
WATER Fe2O3+3H2O→2Fe(OH)3

WATERW/SALT Fe2O3+6NaCl+3H2O→6NaOH+2FeCl3
ALCOHOL C2H5OH+4Fe2O3→2CO+3H2O+8FeO
OIL C57H110O6+106Fe2O3
→57CO+55H2O+212FeO
MURIATICACID 4Fe2O3+6HCl→2FeCl3+3H2O
SPRITE 3H2CO3+Fe2O3→Fe2(CO3)3+3H2O
(CarbonatedWater)
DIRT/OUTSIDE 4Fe+O2→Fe2O3
VINEGAR Fe2O3+6CH3COOH→2(CH3COO)3Fe+3H2O

ExplanationforFe2O3:Sincetheexperimentisplacedinacontaineraportionofthecontainer shall
have oxygen within it therefore making it one of the reactants.

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B. FromyouranswersinQ2,determineifaredoxreactionoccurred.Writethehalfreaction.Identifythereduc
ing/oxidizingagents/Identifywhichsubstancesarereduced/oxidized.

Legend:

Blue- Acid Base ReactionYellow-

ChemicalReactiononly

CASE EQUATION HALF-REACTION REDUCTION REDUCING

OXIDATION AGENTOXI
DIZINGAG
ENT

WATER Fe2O3+3H2O
→2Fe(OH)3

WATERW/SALT Fe2O3+6NaCl
+3H2O
→6NaOH
+2FeCl3

ALCOHOL C2H5OH C2-→C2++4e- REDUCTION - REDUCING

+4Fe2O3 Fe3++e-→Fe2+ FeOXIDATION-C AGENT -
→2CO+3H2O COXIDIZIN
+8FeO GAGENT-Fe

OIL C57H110O6 C2-→C2++4e- REDUCTION-Fe REDUCING

+106Fe2O3 Fe3++e-→Fe2+ OXIDATION-C AGENT-C
→57CO OXIDIZING
+55H2O+212Fe AGENT-Fe
O

MURIATICACID 4Fe2O3+6HCl→
2FeCl3
+3H2O

SPRITE 3H2CO3+Fe2O3
(CarbonatedWater) →Fe2(CO3)3
+3H2O

DIRT/OUTSIDE 4Fe+O2 Fe→Fe3++3e- REDUCTION - REDUCING

→Fe2O3 O+2e-→O2- OOXIDATION-Fe AGENT-
FeOXIDIZIN
GAGENT-O

VINEGAR Fe2O3
+6CH3COOH→
2(CH3COO)3Fe
+3H2O

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C. Calculatethemassloss/gainofeachnailineachcase.

CASE MASS

1.WATER - 10.0g
2.WATERW/SALT + 2.5g

3.ALCOHOL =0g

4.OIL =0g
5.MURIATICACID - 2.5g

6.SPRITE + 5.0g
7.DIRT/OUTSIDE - 5.0g

8.VINEGAR - 15.0g

C.1 Whatdoyouthinkisthereasonforthisgain/loss?

- The process called oxidation is occurring to the nails because the presence
ofoxygenreactstotheironformingironoxide.Suchformationwillmeantheincreaseofweightandi
fironoxideseparatesfromthenailduetosubstancesthiscanresultinthelossofmassofthenails.

C.2 Wheredidthegainedmasscomefrom?

- When iron nails react, some of them solidify into rust. The iron nails, however,
arenowbondedtoairborneoxygen.Bythelawofconservationofmass,themassofthenail must rise
as new atoms are incorporated into it without causing the loss of
theexistingatoms.Thiscausestheweightofthenailstoincrease.

C.3 Whathappenedtothemasslostorwherediditgo?
ApplytheLawofConservationofMassinyouranswer.

- When rust is present in metals, this means a reaction occurred between the iron andthe
oxygen. In some cases, where substances are present, metals react with oxygenbut make the
metal brittle and fall apart thus resulting in the loss of mass of the nail.The mass that was lost
on the nail was transferred to the substance. If we were tomeasure the mass of the substance
with the nail we can see that the mass
hasn’tchangedthatisbecausethesystem(nailandsubstance)followsthelawof

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conservationofmasswhichtransfersthemassoftheirontothesubstance,butifwewere toonly
measure the mass of the nail we can conclude that the nail lost
itsmassbecausethelostmasswenttothesubstance.

D. Fromyourobservation,inwhichconditiondidthenailsrustedfirst?Last?
Whatdoyouthinkisthereasonforthisdifferenceinoxidationrate?

- First to rust was the muriatic acid because as soon as the substance was poured onthe nail
there was a reaction that occurred which changed the nail completely as ifthe top coating of
the nail was removed which, in theory, may have aided in therusting process which made
them rust first. Furthermore, the substance that rustedthe nail last was the alcohol. Three
weeks have passed and almost no rust has beenseen but the fourth week showed little rust
which in conclusion is the last nail to
rustsincetherewasnorustseenwiththeoil.Webelievethatacidsplayavitalroleintheoxidationrateof
ametalbecauseitspeedsuptheprocessofrustingbyremovingthe ‘coat’ of the nail. On the other
hand, oil acts as a protective layer or adds a
layertothemetalthatprotectsitfromcorrosionorfromexternalfactorslikewater.

E. Fromyourperspective,withoutlookingitupontheinternet,recommendwhatshouldbedoneonthemetal
toavoidrusting(ifpossible)oratleastminimizetheoxidationrate.

- Basedontheexperimentdoneonthenails,topreservethemetal’sshine,mass,andstrength, metals
must be coated with oil or alcohol to decrease the oxidation ratedone to the metal caused by
the environment. This has been proven by theexperiment that we have done because there
was little to no rust observed on thenailsafteramonthofitbeingsubmergedinoilandalcohol.

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VIII. SUMMARYANDCONCLUSION

Rust is a general term for iron oxides formed by the reaction of iron with oxygen.Rusting
is the common term for corrosion of iron and its alloys, such as steel. Althoughoxidation of other
metals is equivalent, these oxides are not commonly called rust.Rustis a reddish-brown or
reddish-yellow color that coats iron or steel when exposed to airand moisture. When iron and
oxygen react in the presence of water or moisture,
rust(ironoxide)isformed.Anotherwordforrustis‘corrosion’,whichdescribesthebreakdown of
materials such as iron and steel. Iron is relatively cheap for man toproduce and has a large
number of different uses. Machines, vehicles and buildingstructures are commonly built with
iron (usually in the form of steel). Rust can damagethese machines, vehicles and building
structures and cause economic loss. To preventiron and steel from rust damage, they can be
painted, coated with plastic, galvanized(coated with Zinc) or by other methods that keep out the
water and oxygen.

Reaction rate is a measure of how fast a chemical reaction takes place.

Weusuallyexpressthereactionrateintermsofhowfasta productis producedorhow
fastareactantisconsumed.WaterisachemicalsubstancewiththechemicalformulaH2O
– one molecule of water has two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single oxygen atom. Therusting of
iron is an electrochemical process that begins with the transfer of
electronsfromirontooxygen.Rustisformedbytheunion of the oxygen with the iron. Waterhelps as
an agent in producing the rust change in iron metals. A significant level ofcorrosion occurred
when the nails were exposedto tap water, salt waterand vinegar,therefore, it could be used on
furniture and any indoor use where it is not exposed towater. When nails are used underwater, as
in ships or in any outdoor use and vehicles,some sort of corrosion prevention must be covering
the nail. Overall, the experimentshowed the effect of the different environments on thecorrosion
metals. This gives us abetter understanding on effective use of metals in everyday life based on
the level ofcorrosion.

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IX. REFERENCES

Conclusion. The Corrosion Experiment. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022,

fromhttps://corrosionexperiment.weebly.com/conclusion.html

Growth & Development. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022,

fromhttp://www.csun.edu/~ml727939/coursework/695/rusting%20rates%20of%20iron
%20nails/rusting%20rates%20of%20iron%20nails.htm

Main-group metals. Oxidation and Reduction. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9,

2022,fromhttps://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch9/
redox.php

Oxidation-reduction. Oxidation-Reduction - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics.(n.d.).

Retrieved December 9, 2022, fromhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-
planetary-sciences/oxidation-reduction

S K H F pp ss –– LL Y 33 - young scientist. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9,

2022,from
http://www.youngscientist.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/RACI-K-6-
Stefanie-Krilich-report.pdf

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AnnexA CALCULATIONS

CASE MASS
9.WATER - 10.0g

10.WATERW/SALT + 2.5g

11.ALCOHOL =0g
12.OIL =0g

13.MURIATICACID - 2.5g
14.SPRITE + 5.0g

15.DIRT/OUTSIDE - 5.0g

16.VINEGAR - 15.0g

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Annex B MEMBER’SDESIGNATIONANDPARTICIPATION

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Annex C DOCUMENTATION

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Image1:MaterialstobeUsed

Image2:Resultsafteraweek

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Image3:Resultsaftertwoweeks

Image4:Resultsafterthreeweeks

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Image5:Resultsafter4weeks

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