Question

How do the physical properties of rust compare with the physical properties of iron and oxygen?

Answer 1

Rust is brittle, oxidized iron (oxygen reacted with the iron in the metal to produce rust). Meanwhile, iron is a metal and oxygen is a gas under room temperature conditions.

Answer 2

DENSITY:

a) IRON = 7.86 g/cm³

b) RUST = 5.242 g/cm³

c) OXYGEN = 0.0014 g/cc

Rust is less dense than Iron but a gram of Iron will yield more than 1 gm of Rust, so we should observe a weight gain, and therefore an increase in density like in the rusted set of Nails.

MELTING AND BOILING POINT:

a) IRON:

M.P = 1535 °C B.P = 2862 °C

b) RUST:

M.P = 1370 °C B.P = Decomposition at 3414 °C

c) OXYGEN:

M.P = -218 °C B.P = -183 °C

COLOR:

a) IRON

Silvery gray

b) RUST

Orange red brown

c) OXYGEN

Colorless