Reporter: Abrantes, Dennis Andre D.

Instructor: Sir Basil James Santos

Year and Section: 1-7 Date Performed: Sept. 23, 2019
Group no.: 1 Date Submitted: Sept. 30, 2019

Experiment 3: Metal and Some Aspects of its Corrosion

Abstract
The property of metal can explain the rate of reaction involving metal. Reaction such as oxidation and reduction of
metallic substances cause the metals to rust. This rusting is obtained through the process of corrosion. This experiment
aims to examine the properties of metals that belong to different family, to arrange them in accordance to their
reactivity and to determine the factors that affect the rate of their corrosion. The experiment was divided into three
parts: first is that the researchers studied the properties of the following metal – Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, Sn and Pb - by
examining its physical appearance, color and luster. Next is that the researchers tested the activity series of metals
where six metals was tested to the following solutions - Mg(NO3)2, Zn(NO3)2, Fe(NO3)2, Cu(NO3)2, SnCl4, Pb(NO3)2
.Lastly, the corrosion of metal was tested by preparing 2 agar-agar plates, one plate contained 4 nails (bent, unbent,
with copper wire and zinc zinc coating) while the other plate contained aqueous NaCl solution and 2 nails (bent and
unbent). Results from the second part shown that the metal that reacted to most of the solution is Magnesium while the
metal that reacted the least is Copper. What the researchers observed from the third part is that the plate without NaCl
showed slow redox reaction compared to the plate with redox reaction. The nails covered with Zinc, a highly reactive
metal, shows the least indication of corrosion compared to the nails, which is cover by copper and uncovered nail. It
can be inferred through this experiment that there are many factors affecting the rate of corrosion and some of it is the
order of a certain metal in the activity series and the presence of halide ions from NaCl solution.
Keywords: Corrosion, Reactivity, Properties, Rusting, and Activity Series

I. INTRODUCTION
Metals are lustrous, opaque, malleable and ductile substances that are good conductors of heat and electricty. Its atom
readily loses electron to form postively charge cations. According to Woodford (2019), metals occupy over three
quarter of the naturally occuring chemical elements on earth. Which is why metal plays such an important role in the
society ever since the prehistoric era. Metals coexist with development and progress as it can be seen in today’s time
that construction of buildings, bridges, roads and different infrastructure uses different type of metals to support its
strenght and integrity. According to Lambert (2005), the length of the life of the metal is influenced by how well they
are treated and how good they are employed, that is why as future engineers, it is important to know what are the
factors that can affect the life and performance of a metal.

It should be noted that as atoms of metal easily form cation, it can easily reacts with other substance. When subjected
to atmosphere or water, metals oxidize forming metal oxides. This redox reaction forms rust and such process is often
called corrosion. Corrosion is the biggest threat to a long and healthy life of oxidisable metal such as steel which is the
most dominant material used in construction (Lambert, 2005). Luckily, there are many ways to prevent the corrosion
of metals, such as galvanizing, chemical treatment and combining different metals. Therefore, knowing the properties
of metal will help the reasearcher to know whether a certain metal can easily be oxidize to form rust or it has a slower
rate of oxidation which can help in preventing itself to rust.

Hence, the aim of this experiment is to know what are the properties of metal that belongs to different family and
arrange them according to their reactiveness, and to know what are the different factors that affect the rates of
corrosion.

II. METHODOLOGY
A. For this experiment the following materials were used: Mg ribbon, Zn pellets, Fe fillings, Cu wire, Sn shavings,
Pb pellets, Fe nails, Mg(NO3)2, Zn(NO3)2, Fe(NO3)2, Cu(NO3)2, SnCl4, Pb(NO3)2, petri dished, test tubes, graduated
cylinder, syringe, stirring rod, agar-agar powder, distilled water, K3Fe(CN)6, phenolphthalein, bunsen burner, iron
ring, iron stand and wire gauze.

B. Properties of Metals
The state, color, and luster of the following metals – Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, Sn and Pb – were examined.

C. Single Replacement Reaction and Activity Series

The following solution were used: Mg(NO3)2, Zn(NO3)2, Fe(NO3)2, Cu(NO3)2, SnCl4, and Pb(NO3)2. 4.0 mL of each
solution was contained in 5 test tubes, one for each metal minus the metal that contains the cation of the solution. The
different metals – piece of magnesium, piece of zinc, iron filling, copper wire, tin and lead pellet – were added to each
set of solution respectively. The researchers allowed the solution to stand for 10 minutes before noting any reaction
and observation to ensure that the combination reaction already occurred and that the obserbed reaction was accurate.

D. Corrosion of Metals
100 mL of distilled water was boiled and mixed with 1.0 g of agar-agar powder, which prepared 100 mL of agar-agar
solution. Following that, 10 drops and 5 drops of 0.1 M K3Fe(CN)6 and 1% phenolpthtalein were added to the agar-
agar solution, respectively. Two petri dishes were prepared. The first dish contained 1 bent nail, 1 unbent nail, 1 nail
wrapped in copper wire and 1 nail with zinc strip. While the second dish contained a straight and bent nail, liquid
NaCl was added to the second dish. The researchers made sure that no nails touched each other. After that, the
prepared agar-agar solution was added to the petri dishes. The researchers observed and recorded the changes that
occurred.

III. RESULTS
Table 1.Properties of Metal
Metal Properties
Magnesium is a gray, chemically active element and sometimes resemble as iron. It is diffucult to
Mg
fuge but easy to oxidize.
Bluish-white, lustrous metal. A reasonable conductor of electricity. Zinc burns in air at high red heat
Zn
with evolution of white clouds as zinc oxide
Fe Silvery-white or grayish metal, it is ductile and malleable. It is one of the only three naturally
 occuring magnetic elements.
Cu Reddish metallic color. Malleable, ductile and a good conductor of electricity and heat
Soft, pliable silvery white metal, it is not easily oxidize and it resist corrosion from distilled, sea and
Sn
tap water
Bluish-white lustrous metal, very soft and malleable, but poor conductor of electricity. Resistant to
Pb
corrosion but tarnishes upon exposure to air.

Table 2. Single Replacement Reaction and Activity Series

Solution Mg Zn Fe Cu Pb
Slight continuous
Mg(NO3)2 X No reaction No reaction No reaction
bubbling
Turned to ash
Zn(NO3)2 X No reaction No reaction No reaction
like texture
Ribbon softened, Zn softened,
Slight continuous
Fe(NO3)2 bubbles around Bubbles X No reaction
bubbling
the ribbon appeared near Zn
Slightly
Slight continuous Turned black w/ Slight continuous
Cu(NO3)2 continuous X
bubbling ash like texture bubbling
bubbles
Continuous Slightly
Continuous Copper slightly Slight continuous
SnCl4 bubbling, ribbon continuous
bubbles bent bubbling
is turning white bubbles
Turned to ashlike
Turned to ash Bubbles near the Slight continuous
Pb(NO3)2 texture, change X
like texture Fe sample bubbling
in color

Table 3. Corrosion of Metals

Observation
Unbent Nail in Control Blue and pink cloudy material is formed in the agar solution
Bent Nail in Control No observable reaction
Unbent Nail with NaCl Blue and pink cloudy material is formed in the agar solution
Bent Nail with NaCl Blue and pink cloudy material is formed in the agar solution
The parts of the nailed that are uncovered by copper wire formed blue cloudy
Nail with Copper Wire
material
The parts of the nails that are uncovered by zinc strip formed pink cloudy
Nail with Zinc strip
material
 IV. TREATMENT OF RESULTS
1. From the information obtained in Part B, rank the six metals according to their relative activities.

Figure 1. Activity Series of Metal

Based on the information obtained from part B, the most reactive metal among the six is Magnesium since it shows
the most notable and observable reaction among the different metals. Its reaction time is also fast compared to the
other metals that the researcher used. Next is Zinc, as it shows notable reaction among the solution but it didn’t
reacted magnesium meaning that it’s reactivity is less of Magnesium. Following Zinc is Iron as it reacted with three
solution but it didn’t react with the solution that consist of Mg and Zn as cation, meaning that it’s reactivity is less
than the first two metals mentioned. Next is Lead since it shows less but observable reaction in 4 out of 5 solution.
Although Tin is not tested in the experiment, it follows Lead in the ranking based on the activity series making it
second to the last among the six metals. Lastly, Copper is the least reactive metal among the metals tested since is did
not reacted with most of the solution. Acquiring these information we can say that the reactivity of metal is followed
as: Mg > Zn > Iron > Pb > Sn > Cu. This result affirms the figure shown above which shows that Magnesium is the
strongest reducing agent among the six, which means it reacts the best while Copper is the least reduction agent which
means it’s the least reactive.

2. Compare and explain the results obtained when the four nail samples were subjected to the corrosion reaction.

Figure 2. Agar plate without NaCl (left) and Agar plate with NaCl (right)
This experiment tests the corrosion reaction of iron in based on different factors. In both of the petri dishes, the
researchers can see that pink and blue cloudy material is appearing in the nail samples. This coloring is due to the
oxidation-reduction process, which cause the metal to rust. The blue cloudy material is caused K 3Fe(CN)6 turning
blue in the region where oxidation is taking place, while the pink cloudlike material is caused by phenolphthalein
turning pink in the area where reduction process occur. It can be observed that the agar agar solution turned slight
yellowish in the petri dish without NaCl than of the petri dish with NaCl. It can also be clearly seen that the blue and
pink colors that appeared in the left agar plate is lighter than that of the right. In the first petri dish without sodium
chloride (control), the unbent nail shows indication of corrosion as pink and blue colors appeared around the nail, the
bent nail shows no sign of corrosion, the nail with copper wire shows indication of oxidation even in the part where it
is covered by copper while the nail with zinc don’t show any sign of corrosion in the part where it was covered by
zinc; however, in uncovered part it can be seen that reduction process is happening. In the second plate it can observed
that both the unbent and bent nail shows darker pink and blue color in opposition to the results that is obtained in the
first plate.

V. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Results in both part A and B shows the relationship of metal’s reactivity to the rate of its corrosion. The nails in agar
plate without NaCl shows lighter color of indicator than of the plate with NaCl, this means that the agar plate without
NaCl corrodes slower. It can be inferred that the presence of NaCl solution affected the metal’s rate of corroision. This
affirms the study of Rustandi (2017), which states that halide ions from aqueous NaCl solution cause degradation and
interferace the passivation layer that can further enhance the level of corrosion. Other than the presence of NaCl, it
can be inferred that the reactivity of metal affects its corrosion. It can be observed in the first plate that the nail with
copper wire shows oxidation process; this is due to the fact that copper is a less reactive metal and an oxidizing agent.
On the otherhand, the nail with zinc shows reduction process as zinc act as a reduction agent and is a reactive metal.
This means that zinc protect iron better than copper as zinc act as barrier, it also corrode slowly which why it act as a
good protection.

Answers to Guide Questions:

1. How does coating of zinc in galvanized iron protect it from corrosion?
Zinc coating on galvanized iron protect it from corrosion by providing an impermeable barrier protection around the
metal. Zinc corrodes in a very slow manner, which is why it’s a good surface protection. It also protects the iron by
developing a protective patina on its surface. The patina isolates the iron to its environment, therefore reducing the
interaction of the metal to oxidizing agents

2. Why is it that a nail can stand for many days on the shelf and not rust, but when placed in tap water it quickly rusts?
When subjected to tap water, nail quickly rusts because water will serve as an oxidizing agent. Water will react with
nail, which will steal 2 electrons from the iron, leaving the iron positively charged. Oxygen dissolved in the water will
then react with the positively charged particles, which will form ferrous oxide or rust.

3. In both cases in question (2), which part of the nail does corrosion occur? Why?
Corrosion occurs to the tiny scratches of the nail, because a scratched metal surface leads to small particles breaking
off which makes corrosion easier. Unlike compact metals it takes time before corrosion happens.

VI. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Based on the information that was obatained from the result and treatment. The researchers therefore conclude that the
factors affecting the rate of corrosion is the presence of salt, water, moisture, and the place of the metal in the activity
series. It can be inferred that highly reactive metals have a slower rate of corrosion than that of low reactive metal.
Thus, among the six metal that was tested. Magnesium and Zinc provide a better protection from corrosion than Lead
and Copper. Ways of improving the experiment is recommended. The researchers suggest adding a viable method,
which can introduce and test whether temperature could affect the formation of rust in metal. Additional kind of
oxidizing metal could also be tested in the third part of the experiment to compare their results to the result that was
obtained in this experiment. Furthermore, the researchers strongly suggest applying zinc coating in steels, which are
used in construction to ensure a more stable build.

VII. REFERENCES
[1] Lambert, P. (2005). Sustainability of metals and alloys in construction. Khatib, J, Sustainability of construction
materials (p. 120). Cambridge, UK: Woodhead Publishing.
[2] Rustandi, A., Setiawan, S., & Fathurrahman, I. (2017). The effect of Sodium chloride concentration on corrosion
resistance of austenitic stainless steel 316L and SMA weldment. Solid State Phenomena, 263, 120–124.
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/ssp.263.210
[3] Woodford, Chris. (2011/2019) Metals. Retrieved from https://www.explainthatstuff.com/introduction-to-
metals.html

VIII. APPENDICES
Table 1. Properties of Metals
Metal Properties
Magnesium is a gray, chemically active element and sometimes resemble as iron. It is diffucult to
Mg
fuge but easy to oxidize.
Bluish-white, lustrous metal. A reasonable conductor of electricity. Zinc burns in air at high red heat
Zn
with evolution of white clouds as zinc oxide
Silvery-white or grayish metal, it is ductile and malleable. It is one of the only three naturally
Fe
occuring magnetic elements.
Cu Reddish metallic color. Malleable, ductile and a good conductor of electricity and heat
Soft, pliable silvery white metal, it is not easily oxidize and it resist corrosion from distilled, sea and
Sn
tap water
Bluish-white lustrous metal, very soft and malleable, but poor conductor of electricity. Resistant to
Pb
corrosion but tarnishes upon exposure to air.
 Table 2. Single Replacement Reaction and Activity Series
Solution Mg Zn Fe Cu Pb
Slight continuous
Mg(NO3)2 X No reaction No reaction No reaction
bubbling
Turned to ash
Zn(NO3)2 X No reaction No reaction No reaction
like texture
Ribbon softened, Zn softened,
Slight continuous
Fe(NO3)2 bubbles around Bubbles X No reaction
bubbling
the ribbon appeared near Zn
Slightly
Slight continuous Turned black w/ Slight continuous
Cu(NO3)2 continuous X
bubbling ash like texture bubbling
bubbles
Continuous Slightly
Continuous Copper slightly Slight continuous
SnCl4 bubbling, ribbon continuous
bubbles bent bubbling
is turning white bubbles
Turned to ashlike
Turned to ash Bubbles near the Slight continuous
Pb(NO3)2 texture, change X
like texture Fe sample bubbling
in color

Table 3. Corrosion of Metals

Observation
Unbent Nail in Control Blue and pink cloudy material is formed in the agar solution
Bent Nail in Control No observable reaction
Unbent Nail with NaCl Blue and pink cloudy material is formed in the agar solution
Bent Nail with NaCl Blue and pink cloudy material is formed in the agar solution
The parts of the nailed that are uncovered by copper wire formed blue cloudy
Nail with Copper Wire
material
The parts of the nails that are uncovered by zinc strip formed pink cloudy
Nail with Zinc strip
material
 Figure 1. Activity Series of Metal

Figure 2. Agar plate without NaCl (left) and Agar plate with NaCl (right)