The Reactivity Series

Rust is formed when iron reacts with oxygen (either in the air or in water) to form
hydrated iron (III) oxide. Rusting is an oxidation reaction since iron gains
oxygen and loses electrons. The equation for the reaction is:

The Experiment below shows that iron does not rust in the absence of air or
water. In the second tube, the dissolved oxygen has been removed from the
water by boiling and the layer of oil prevents any more air from dissolving. The
calcium chloride in the third tube absorbs water vapour in the air. Rusting has
not occurred in either of these two tubes, proving that we need both air and
water for rusting to occur.
 The Reactivity Series

There are two ways to prevent rusting: barrier methods and galvanising.

​ Barrier methods: the iron is coated with a barrier to prevent iron from
coming into contact with water and oxygen. The barrier could be a layer of
paint, plastic, oil or grease.
​ Galvanising the iron is coated with a layer of a more reactive metal,
usually zinc. The layer of zinc acts as a barrier to prevent iron from coming
into contact with air and water. It also acts as a sacrificial metal. This
means that it will react with oxygen more readily than iron because it is
higher up in the reactivity series. Zinc will be oxidised (lose its electrons)
instead of the iron.