Tin Project
Tin Can
To see how tin keeps a steel can from rusting, get an empty can, like from canned green beans or canned peaches. Wash the can and use a can-opener to take off the sharp top so you don't cut yourself, and recycle the top.
Check that this is really a tin and steel can, and not an aluminum can - use a magnet, like a fridge magnet. If the magnet sticks to the can, then it's got steel in it. If it doesn't stick, that's an aluminum can. Go get a steel can.
Now use sandpaper to rub the shiny surface off the outside of one part of your can. Try to scrape off the tin and leave just the steel underneath. Get the can wet, and then leave it in the air to dry. Or just leave the can out in the rain for a week or two. When you come back, which parts are rusty?
Main Tin Page
To find out more about atoms, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Why did people want to punch Socrates?
Where did Egyptians bury your liver?
How old are the Rocky Mountains?
What does a half-timbered house look like?
How do you spin wool?
(a project)
The planet Mercury
Thermometers
Helium
Carbon
Oxygen
Molecules
Electricity
Chemistry
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