Video Transcript
An engineer wants to protect ironwork from rusting. Which of the following options would not help prevent the formation of rust? (A) Keeping the iron warm, (B) painting the iron, (C) coating the iron with grease, (D) covering the iron with a layer of silver.
Oxygen and water can react with the surface of an iron object. This reaction produces rust and can reduce the strength and stability of the iron object. To protect ironwork from rusting, the engineer needs to prevent oxygen and water from coming into contact with the iron metal.
Painting the iron will form a waterproof layer on the surface. Oxygen and water usually cannot pass through a layer of paint. So this method will help prevent the formation of rust.
Water and oxygen usually do not pass through grease either. Grease is often used to lubricate and protect moving iron parts.
Silver is a very unreactive metal, and it usually does not react with oxygen or water. Covering the iron with a layer of silver will prevent oxygen and water from reacting with the iron and protect the iron from rusting.
We’ve seen three ways we could protect ironwork from rusting. But the question asks which would not help prevent the formation of rust. So answer choices (B), (C), and (D) cannot be the answer to the question. This leaves us with answer choice (A). Keeping the iron warm does not prevent oxygen or water from coming into contact with the iron. So the iron will begin to rust. In addition, iron tends to rust very rapidly when warm or hot. So, warming the iron will cause the ironwork to rust more quickly.
Therefore, the option that would not help prevent the formation of rust is answer choice (A), keeping the iron warm.
