Atomdude@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml · 1 year agoHow come rust built up on iron things looks like a thick crust, but somehow when it's removed it's like there's nothing gone from the original?message-squaremessage-square8fedilinkarrow-up19arrow-down10
arrow-up19arrow-down1message-squareHow come rust built up on iron things looks like a thick crust, but somehow when it's removed it's like there's nothing gone from the original?Atomdude@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml · 1 year agomessage-square8fedilink
minus-squareCandelestine@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up2·1 year agoBecause the rust is very fluffy, while the iron is very dense. So a very small volume of iron can turn into a large volume of rust. The iron is disappearing though. Just slowly. You could tell if you weighed it with a sensitive scale.
minus-squareDickFiascolinkfedilinkarrow-up2·1 year agoTo add to this, rust is only about 70% iron by mass, with the remainder being oxygen. So the rust basically weighs a bit more than just the iron used to create it.
minus-squareefiler@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up0·1 year agoJust want to add, that rust is not pure iron oxide(? can’t do chemistry in english) but also contains water molecules
minus-squareAtomdude@lemmy.worldOPlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·1 year agoReally? I suppose rust is stranger than I even thought.
Because the rust is very fluffy, while the iron is very dense. So a very small volume of iron can turn into a large volume of rust.
The iron is disappearing though. Just slowly. You could tell if you weighed it with a sensitive scale.
To add to this, rust is only about 70% iron by mass, with the remainder being oxygen. So the rust basically weighs a bit more than just the iron used to create it.
Just want to add, that rust is not pure iron oxide(? can’t do chemistry in english) but also contains water molecules
Really? I suppose rust is stranger than I even thought.