Corrosion of Metals
Students will investigate the rate of corrosion to conclude which inhibitors are the most effective at preventing corrosion from occurring and explore variations in the tensile strength of different metals.
Overview
Students investigate the rate of corrosion and which coverings best prevent it. The lesson opens with a news video of a fatal carnival ride accident, and students speculate about its cause in a think-pair-share. In the lab, they observe how stainless steel responds to different protective coverings, and a presentation then explains corrosion. In the mathematics component, students graph mass or temperature against time, calculate rates of change, and share results in a class spreadsheet, with box-and-whisker plots as an extension. In the elaboration, they hang weights from metals to measure stress and strain for tensile strength, and a quiz or student-designed lab follows.
Lesson Objectives
- Investigate the rate of corrosion to conclude which inhibitors are the most effective at preventing corrosion from occurring and explore variations in tensile strength of different metals.
Standards
NGSS · 6
- MS-PS1-2Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
- MS-PS3-1Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
- MS-PS3-2Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
- HS-PS1-2Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
- HS-PS2-2Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
- HS-PS3-1Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
CCSS Math · 3
- HSA-CED.A.2Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales.
- HSF-LE.A.1Distinguish between situations that can be modeled with linear functions and with exponential functions.
- HSS-ID.B.6.aFit a function to the data; use functions fitted to data to solve problems in the context of the data. Use given functions or choose a function suggested by the context. Emphasize linear, quadratic, and exponential models.
CCSS ELA · 1
- SL.11-12.1.aCome to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.