<strong>How does oxidation occur? Help your kids understand this chemical process with this experiment&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;

Chemistry can be quite a tricky subject for some kids to grasp. What better way to explain fundamental chemistry-related concepts than practical experimentation? Today, we will explore the chemistry concept of oxidation with a simple DIY experiment. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that involves the removal of electrons. Rusting is a good example of this chemical process. Our steel wool and vinegar experiment will help your school-goer understand how certain chemical reactions lead to the process of oxidation.  

What you will need 

Ask your budding scientist to help you gather these materials to understand how oxidation occurs. 

• Steel wool 
• Vinegar 
• Two beakers 
• Thermometer 
• A lid 

Step-by-step guide  

• Place the steel wool in one of the beakers. 
• Pour some vinegar in this beaker and let the steel wool submerge in it. Let it soak in the liquid for one minute. 
• After this, retrieve the steel wool from the beaker and shake off the excess vinegar. 
• Carefully wrap the steel wool around the bottom of the thermometer. Place both of them in the second beaker. 
• In order to contain the heat, cover the beaker with a lid. 
• Ensure that you have placed the thermometer in such a way that you can clearly read the temperature.  
• Take a note of the initial temperature. Observe how the temperature changes over the course of five minutes. 

What exactly is happening in this experiment? 

In this instance, the temperature of the thermometer rises slowly and steadily. As a consequence of this, the beaker will start getting soggy. Soaking steel wool in the vinegar causes its protective coating to rust. Rusting is essentially the chemical reaction that occurs when iron is exposed to oxygen, after undergoing the process of oxidation. As a consequence of this chemical reaction, heat is created which, in turn, leads to an increase in the temperature of the beaker and on the thermometer as well. This type of chemical reaction is categorised as an exothermic reaction. In such a reaction, energy is released in the form of heat.