Procedure

Cut the two steel wool soap pads in half. (You will use three of the four halves.) a) Keep one dry b) Soak one in water c) Soak one in vinegar 1. Cut three pieces of plain steel wool in half. a) Keep one dry b) Soak one in water c) Soak one in vinegar d) Coat one with petroleum jelly e) Coat one with petroleum jelly and soak in water f) Coat one with petroleum jelly and soak in vinegar 1. Observe each piece of steel wool every 10-15 minutes for one or two hours. 2. Let them sit overnight and observe the next day.
1.

Materials
2 steel wool soap pads Petroleum jelly 3 plain steel wool pads Water Vinegar 6 jars or containers

Problem
How can you prevent steel wool from rusting?

Hypothesis
I predict that the steel wool soap pad and the plain steel wool pad in vinegar will rust because the steel might react to the vinegar since it is an acid. Water is a part of creating rust on iron and steel, so I think the plain steel wool pad will rust. I think that the soap pad in water will not rust, because the soap will mix with the water, and will basically clean the soap pad every time it starts to rust. I also think that the ones just sitting out will not rust because they are just sitting there. The ones coated with petroleum jelly will not rust because the petroleum jelly might create some sort of protective barrier that will prevent them from rusting. I have based this hypothesis on my research.

Research - Rust
Rust, or iron oxide, the chemical known as Fe2O3, is well known because of the fact that iron and oxygen combine very easily. Iron rusting is an example of corrosion. This electrochemical process requires the presence of an anode (a piece of iron or steel that easily gives up electrons), an electrolyte (a liquid that helps electrons move), and a cathode (a piece of iron or steel that easily accepts electrons). When iron or steel rusts, the electrolyte helps to provide oxygen to the anode. The oxygen mixes with the iron or steel and electrons are freed. When they flow through the electrolyte into the cathode, the metal of the anode disappears, either swept away through the electrical flow, or converted into metal cations in a form such as rust. For iron to become iron oxide, it needs to have iron, water and oxygen. When a drop of water hits the metal, the water combines with the carbon dioxide from the air, to create a weak carbonic acid, an electrolyte. While the acid is being formed and metal dissolved, some water leaks into the metals component pieces - hydrogen and oxygen. The free oxygen and dissolved iron mix into iron oxide and the electrons separated from the anode flow into the cathode, another piece of steel or iron, or on a different piece or section of the object itself. The only metals that rust are iron or steel. Other metals may become corroded, but do not rust. The chemical reaction of rust is4Fe + 3O2 = 2Fe2O3

Observations
1. Steel Wool soap pad - dry

This pad doesnt rust because it is just sitting there, and there are no reasons for it to rust, because there is nothing happening to it, so therefore it cannot rust.

2.

Steel Wool soap pad - in water

This didnt rust either. It would have rusted if it was exposed to oxygen, but it wasnt. The only thing that happened was that the soap mixed with the water. If it were exposed to oxygen, it would have rusted.

3.

Steel Wool soap pad - in vinegar

This steel wool soap pad did rust. At first, it was just fizzing because the vinegar, an acid, was having a chemical reaction with the soap. Then, after a while, the water started to turn brownish yellow, and after 24 hours, rust started to form on the steel wool soap pad.

1.

Steel Wool pad - dry

This pad doesnt rust because it is just sitting there, and there are no reasons for it to rust, because there is nothing happening to it, so therefore it cannot rust, just like the steel wool soap pad just sitting out as well.

2.

Steel Wool pad - in water

This did rust. At first, when I poured the water on it, little bubbles started popping up on the pad. In about 30 minutes, the water began to turn a brownish yellow, just like the steel wool soap pad in vinegar. After 24 hours, it really rusted. Not

only was the water a deep brownish yellow, there was a lot of rust covering sections of the pad.

3.

Steel Wool pad - in vinegar

This pad didnt rust because the vinegar didnt have an affect on the plain steel wool pad without soap, so it couldnt rust. But when we exposed the pad to oxygen, it started to rust.

7. Steel Wool pad coated with petroleum jelly - dry

This pad doesnt rust because it is just sitting there, and there are no reasons for it to rust, because there is nothing happening to it, so therefore it cannot rust.

7. Steel Wool pad coated with petroleum jelly - in water

Nothing happened to this one, because the petroleum jelly created a protective layer around the steel wool and prevented it from rusting. Because the plain steel wool pad in water rusted, it must have been the petroleum jelly.

7. Steel Wool pad coated with petroleum jelly - in vinegar

This pad in petroleum jelly didnt rust either, and for the same reason. The petroleum jelly had created a protective barrier covering the pad so it couldnt rust.

Bibliography
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question445.htm http://www.ehow.com/howdoes_4564062_rust-form.html

Conclusion
I have concluded that to prevent steel wool from rusting you need to prevent it from coming in contact with an electrolyte and oxygen. The only pads that did rust were the steel wool soap pad in vinegar, and the plain steel wool pad in water. The steel wool soap pad rusted because the vinegar stripped the soap from the pad and vinegar is a good electrolyte. The plain steel wool pad rusted because the water and oxygen were there to make it rust. This means that my hypothesis was mostly correct. The ones in petroleum jelly didnt rust, and for the reason I suspected. Petroleum jelly is hydrophobic, which means it cannot be broken down in water. So if the electrolyte couldnt get in, it couldnt rust

Extension
1. Place 2 steel wool balls into two clear plastic cups. Cover each with water. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to one cup and 2 tablespoons of bleach to the second cup. Observe for 20-30 minutes. 2. Which steel wool ball rusted? 3. If iron and oxygen form a compound we call rust, what was missing from the steel wool that did not rust? 4. What chemical releases the oxygen?

Extension results
The steel wool ball with the two tablespoons of bleach rusted because the bleach, an acid, helped to speed up the rusting process. Since the pad also had water, which made the plain steel wool pad rust in my experiment, the bleach just made it rust faster. The pad with the 2 tablespoons of vinegar didnt rust though, because there was vinegar in it, and the plain steel wool pad in just vinegar (in my experiment) didnt rust. But after a longer time period, and being exposed to oxygen, it did begin to rust a little.

With Bleach

With Vinegar

Application
Light posts rust because they are exposed to water every time it rains and oxygen in the air. Another good example is old cars. They rust because their paint will chip off over time, exposing the metal under the paint to oxygen and the rain, and then it rusts. Rust can form on lots of things. If there is something that you dont want to rust, coat it with water resistant paint. Rust can break down metal over time, so if something is starting to rust, like a nail, it is best to replace it.

Rusted light post