Properties of Materials - exam practice

A group of students are discussing the conditions required for an iron nail to rust.

Student 1 says that all iron nails will rust eventually if left in air.

Student 2 says iron needs both oxygen and water to rust.

Student 3 says that iron only needs to be wet to rust.

Plan an investigation to test the predictions of the students.

Use the equipment and materials from the list below:

• test tubes
• stoppers
• iron nails
• boiled water
• drying agent
• oil

State the purpose of the drying agent in test tube 1.

The table below shows the students' results.

Iron rusts when exposed to both air and water.

Write a word equation for the rusting of iron to form hydrated iron oxide.

Explain why covering iron with paint or grease prevents the iron from rusting.

Iron is sometimes covered with zinc to prevent it rusting.

Explain how the zinc covering prevents the iron from rusting.

Which of the following would not prevent an iron nail rusting?

Which of the following metals could be used to galvanise iron?

Which type of reaction takes place when iron rusts?