Booleroo Centre District School – Year 10 Science Corrosion Design Practical Investigation - Task Sheet Background: Metal corrosion, or oxidation, involves the transfer of electrons from the metal to oxygen. The rate of metal corrosion is affected by such things as exposure to salt, acid, base, and pollution. A metal can be protected from corrosion by being coated with paint, a rust inhibitor, or any other film which prevents exposure of the metal to oxygen or moisture. Galvanizing is used to protect iron and steel products from being corroded. Galvanization is the application of a thin coating of zinc to iron or steel. Task description: You will be required to design an investigation into the topic of corrosion. This could be about a specific factor that influences the rate or degree of corrosion; or about a method to prevent corrosion. Step 1 – Collect background information You need to know something about the social importance of corrosion to provide a justification or reason for designing the investigation. You also need to know something about the chemistry of corrosion to guide you in selecting a factor to investigate; e.g what are the necessary conditions for rust to form? If you want to investigate ways to prevent corrosion, then factors that promote corrosion can guide you to ways of reducing their effect; e.g. what are common methods for rust prevention and how do they work? Step 2 - Design the investigation 1. What is the aim of your experiment? 2. Do you have a testable hypothesis? 3. What is the independent variable that you will change and how will you change it? 4. What will be your dependent variable that you measure and how will you measure it? (qualitative) 5. What factors will you be sure to keep constant? Step 3 - Write down how you are going to do the experiment. 1. List all materials you will require and their quantities. 2. Identify potential hazards and state the relevant precautions that need to be taken. 3. You need a step-by-step procedure/method. Don’t forget to include replication, and the way you are going to measure your results. Draw labelled diagrams of your experimental set up and materials needed. Step 4 – Represent results This section contains your raw data, preferably in a tabular form and any observations you may have made. You may wish to collate and display your results as graphical representations. Describe (but don’t explain) any patterns you observe in your results. Step 5 – Discussion Discuss the reaction involved in the formation of rust. What type of reaction is this? Explain your results and discuss how your independent variable effected the rate of the reaction. Make sure your data supports your interpretations. You should use information gathered from your initial research (validation). You should refer to random and systematic errors and how they would affect your data (increase or decrease values) if present. You should suggest improvements or changes to your design. If so, make sure you explain why and how it would affect your original idea. Step 6 – Conclusion and reference list This section is only a couple of sentences long and addresses your aim/hypothesis. It should also link back to the real-world applications of your experiment. Corrosion Investigation Success Criteria Prac Design Introduction Prac Design Prac skills Method Results Discussion and Conclusion What needs to be included: Explanation of the formation of rust with reference to a chemical equation. Description of how different factors can affect the rate of a chemical reaction. Clear aim, Hypothesis stated, Materials List, safety assessment, and Step-by-Step Procedure written. Preparedness on experimental set-up day. Efficiency of setting up equipment, organisation of time, splitting tasks evenly between partners. Safe Lab practices. Your method must be written in past tense because you have already done the experiment. Write in enough detail for someone to be able to repeat the experiment exactly how you performed it. Include the number of replicates. Make it clear how the constant factors were kept constant. Include labelled diagrams of apparatus set up. Observations recorded. The columns and rows of tables should have appropriate headings. All data should have units with the correct symbols included. If a graph is used the appropriate graph for the type of data should be chosen (Line graph if the independent variable is continuous or a column graph if the order on the X axis does not matter). Interpret and analyse your results (ie explain what the results mean). Explain how your results fit in with current knowledge about rust protection and prevention. Describe a range of random and systematic errors and how they could have impacted on the results. Describe what you would change if had to test the same hypothesis again and why you would need to make those changes. Conclusion - did your results support your hypothesis? Why or why not? Describe how you could use the results of your experiment in your everyday life. Name: ________________________________________ C A B D E Accurate and detailed description Detailed description General description with few details missing General outline only Very limited detail Logical, detailed and effective Detailed and effective General with a few sections missing Outline only Very little detail Excellent preparation and organisation Good preparation and organisation Adequate preparation and organisation Some preparation and organisation Insufficient preparation and organisation Logical, detailed and effective Detailed and effective General with a few sections missing Outline only Very little detail Accurate and highly effective Accurate and mostly effective. Some errors but generally accurate and effective. Conventions used inconsistently occasional accuracy and effective. Attempted but with limited accuracy and effectiveness. Logical evaluation and analysis and range of improvements Evaluation and analysis done with consistent conclusions. Some evaluation and analysis with a conclusion. Some connections and simple conclusion. Basic connections and some meaning made.
