Gas To Rust Experiment
From Gas to Rust: Measuring the Oxygen Content of Air
Questions
Why does the water level eventually stop rising?
Materials Six measuring beakers
6 ring stands
2 clamps
750 milliliters of water
2.9 grams of steel wool
2.9 grams of copper
2.9 grams of iron
Masking tape
Permanent marker
Procedures
1. Fill all six jars with water so that they are nearly full. It may be helpful to use a measuring cup to make sure that each jar has exactly the same amount of water.
2. Attach a vertical strip of masking tape to the side of each of your test tubes (for marking the water level)and using the permanent marker, make a mark on the tape about 1 cm down from the mouth of the test tube. This will be the outside water level. …show more content…
Tear off enough steel wool to make a ball about 2.5 cm in diameter. Use a pencil to push the steel wool down to the bottom of a test tube. Repeat for a total of three test tubes with steel wool.
5. Rinse all of the test tubes (three with steel wool and three without) by filling the test tubes with water, allowing the water to sit there for 1 minute, and then pouring the water out. This step will dampen the steel wool in the three tubes that have it thus making sure there is enough water present for the oxidation reaction. Treating the three test tubes without steel wool the same way ensures that all variables are controlled.
6. Turn all six of the test tubes (three with steel wool and three without) upside down and mount them over the jars so that the water level is at the starting mark you made in step 3 on each test tube.
7. You may want to cover your entire setup with a big plastic bag to minimize evaporation. Be careful not to knock the test tubes when covering and uncovering.
8. Check at least daily, and write your observations down in your lab notebook. Carefully mark the water level on the tape on each test tube.
9. When the water level is no longer changing in the test tubes, you're ready to analyze your …show more content…
Background Information
The goal of this experiment is to measure the percentage of oxygen in air samples and this
project will show an interesting way of doing that. The method depends on atmospheric pressure and a chemical reaction that removes oxygen from the air. I will find out what kind of chemical reaction can remove oxygen from the air. Oxidation of iron, also known as rusting, will do the trick. Exposed iron will rust in the presence of oxygen and water. I will study this chemical reaction and I’ll see that oxygen becomes combined with the iron atoms and water to create iron oxides. I think this meets middle school grade level expectations because it enables me to understand the terms and concepts: atmospheric pressure, oxidation of iron and the layers of the atmosphere.
The question I am asking is why does the water level eventually stop rising? I wanted to know how much oxygen is in the air and how much of it we consume when we breathe every day. Well this project shows an interesting way of finding out. The atmosphere contains the oxygen we need
Questions
Why does the water level eventually stop rising?
Materials Six measuring beakers
6 ring stands
2 clamps
750 milliliters of water
2.9 grams of steel wool
2.9 grams of copper
2.9 grams of iron
Masking tape
Permanent marker
Procedures
1. Fill all six jars with water so that they are nearly full. It may be helpful to use a measuring cup to make sure that each jar has exactly the same amount of water.
2. Attach a vertical strip of masking tape to the side of each of your test tubes (for marking the water level)and using the permanent marker, make a mark on the tape about 1 cm down from the mouth of the test tube. This will be the outside water level. …show more content…
Tear off enough steel wool to make a ball about 2.5 cm in diameter. Use a pencil to push the steel wool down to the bottom of a test tube. Repeat for a total of three test tubes with steel wool.
5. Rinse all of the test tubes (three with steel wool and three without) by filling the test tubes with water, allowing the water to sit there for 1 minute, and then pouring the water out. This step will dampen the steel wool in the three tubes that have it thus making sure there is enough water present for the oxidation reaction. Treating the three test tubes without steel wool the same way ensures that all variables are controlled.
6. Turn all six of the test tubes (three with steel wool and three without) upside down and mount them over the jars so that the water level is at the starting mark you made in step 3 on each test tube.
7. You may want to cover your entire setup with a big plastic bag to minimize evaporation. Be careful not to knock the test tubes when covering and uncovering.
8. Check at least daily, and write your observations down in your lab notebook. Carefully mark the water level on the tape on each test tube.
9. When the water level is no longer changing in the test tubes, you're ready to analyze your …show more content…
Background Information
The goal of this experiment is to measure the percentage of oxygen in air samples and this
project will show an interesting way of doing that. The method depends on atmospheric pressure and a chemical reaction that removes oxygen from the air. I will find out what kind of chemical reaction can remove oxygen from the air. Oxidation of iron, also known as rusting, will do the trick. Exposed iron will rust in the presence of oxygen and water. I will study this chemical reaction and I’ll see that oxygen becomes combined with the iron atoms and water to create iron oxides. I think this meets middle school grade level expectations because it enables me to understand the terms and concepts: atmospheric pressure, oxidation of iron and the layers of the atmosphere.
The question I am asking is why does the water level eventually stop rising? I wanted to know how much oxygen is in the air and how much of it we consume when we breathe every day. Well this project shows an interesting way of finding out. The atmosphere contains the oxygen we need