Title: Reactive material: “What substances cause metals to corrode in a short time? » Introduction: Have you ever wondered why metal starts to rust? Or why a once shiny material turns an ugly reddish brown? Have you ever tried using water to rid your bike wheels of mud, only to find that it became crusty and weathered? Shouldn't it be clean? The dilemma is that your bike's wheels are made of steel. Steel contains iron which can easily be corroded. Corrosion is the deterioration of a metal due to chemical reactions involving the metal and its environment. There are many types of corrosion, but the main form is rust. Rust only occurs in iron, but other metals oxidize. Rust is the oxidation of iron, which is when oxygen and water combine to form iron oxide also known as rust. Corrosion involves the oxidation of a metal atom, causing it to lose one or more electrons and leave the metal in bulk. The lost electrons are conducted through the bulk metal to another site where they reduce (i.e., combine with) a nonmetallic element N or other metal ion G+ that is in contact with the bulk metal , which weakens the metal, causing corrosion. took place. Rust and corrosion of metals is a very serious problem because the objects we use throughout our daily lives are exposed to this threat. In order to prevent corrosion, certain substances must be avoided, but what are these substances? Objective: This investigation aims to determine which substances are corrosive agents. Hypothesis: If a nail is placed in separate dishes containing a different variation of bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, cooking oil and water for a period of one week (seven days) then the nail surrounded by vinegar and water...... middle of paper ... ...er by analyzing the results, it was determined that baking soda and cooking oil are not corrosive agents, unlike vinegar. Although the petri dish containing cooking oil showed signs of corrosion, it was only because it was in the presence of water. Additionally, water is a corrosive agent, and ultimately the hypothesis turned out to be correct. References: “Rusting Out: How Acids Affect the Rate of Corrosion”. Rust: How Acids Affect Corrosion Rate. Np, and Web. May 20, 2014. “Sodium bicarbonate and metal.” Sodium bicarbonate and metal. Np, and Web. May 20, 2014. “What is corrosion?” ". About.com Metals. Np, and Web. May 20 2014. .