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-square5fedilinkarrow-up16arrow-down10
arrow-up16arrow-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-square5fedilink
minus-squareCandelestine@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·1 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-squareDickFiasco@lemm.eelinkfedilinkarrow-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.
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.