Mars is coated with iron oxide, which not only covers the surface but is also present in the rocks made by the volcanoes on Mars.


Today you get to perform a chemistry experiment that investigates the different kinds of rust and shows that given the right conditions, anything containing iron will eventually break down and corrode. When iron rusts, it’s actually going through a chemical reaction: Steel (iron) + Water (oxygen) + Air (oxygen) = Rust
Materials


  • Four empty water bottles
  • Four balloons
  • Water
  • Steel wool
  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Salt
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Comments

2 Responses to “Rusty Balloon”

  1. No, a catalyst doesn’t get used up in a reaction. Adding salt provided the reaction with the stuff it needed for the chemical reaction to occur. The salt gets used in different ways depending on what you also added to the jars.

  2. Katyrochester says:

    We found the most marked reactions were the ones with salt added. Does the salt act as a catalyst perhaps?