Question

What type of weathering process is happening to materials when they rust?

Answer 1

Oxidation

Explanation:

Rust is the oxidation of iron. Iron combines with water and oxygen in the air to form rust. Rust is a mixture of iron oxides, such as `Fe_2O_3*nH_2O,FeO(OH)*nH_2O`, and `Fe(OH)_3`.

An example reaction for the oxidation of iron is:

`4Fe(s)+3O_2(g)+6H_2O(l)->2Fe_2O_3*3H_2O(s)`

For the full set of redox reactions for rust and its explanation, visit:

https://socratic.org/questions/fe-o2-h2o-fe2o3-or-fe-oh-3-explain-what-is-the-right-answer#572661