Question

Complete the following reaction:

$$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{Fe}+{\mathrm{O}}_2\stackrel{\mathrm{moisture}}{\to }\mathrm{\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_} \\ \left(\mathrm{rust}\right) \end{gathered}$$

Answer 1

Rusting of iron:

• Rusting of iron refers to the formation of rust.
• This rust is formed from a redox reaction between oxygen and iron in an environment containing water.
• The chemical reaction in which iron ($\mathrm{Fe}$) combines with oxygen ($\mathrm{O}$) and water to form rust.
• The equation for this reaction is:
• $\underset{\mathrm{iron}}{4\mathrm{Fe}}+\underset{\mathrm{oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2}\stackrel{\mathrm{moisture}\left({\mathrm{xH}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)}{\to }\underset{\mathrm{rust}}{2{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3.{\mathrm{xH}}_2\mathrm{O}}$
• (x) simply signifies a large number of water molecules that are attached to the compound ${\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$forming rust.