What Causes ‘Rust’ and How Is It Different from ‘Corrosion’?

Rust is when metal gets sad and turns orange. Imagine a metal toy that gets wet and stays outside, it might start to look like an old, rusty nail. Rust happens when the metal talks to oxygen in the air. It’s kind of like magic where the metal becomes something new: iron oxide. But not all metal decays this way; some just get tired and become a different color, like when your silver spoon starts looking gray, that's called corrosion.

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Examples

  1. A bicycle left out in the rain turns orange over time.
  2. An old nail in the garden looks like it’s been painted red.
  3. Your parent’s silver cutlery starts looking dull and gray.

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