Which metal, copper or iron, corrodes the fastest? Explain.?

Answer 1

Lancenigo di Villorba (TV), Italy

YOU MADE A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION!!

You said about comparison between iron and copper corrosion.
Well, I suppose wet corrosion or corrosion of metalic bodies in aqueous solutions.
Corrosion belongs to electrochemical phenomena and generally you can realize them in different ways.

Sorry, you cannot simply compare iron and copper in electrochemical series.
THE ROD WHICH CORRODES FASTEST MAY BE IRON, MAY BE COPPER. Your way's feature will decide it.

A VOLTAIC FEATURE is pursued when you connect electrical polarities (+ / -) of a powerful battery (tension greater than 3 V) to metalic rods (one iron and one copper) whole dipped in an electrolytic aqueous solution. You should avoid alkaline aqueous solutions, moreover you avoid strong acidic solutions even...kitchen's salt is a good choice.
In this brine (salt's solution) you will see that one and only one rod corrodes, iron or copper, that is the rod connected to PLUS (+) polarity.
A GALVANIC FEATURE is pursued by dipping metalic rods in some way which needs not external energy supplies (e.g. battery). The most common scheme purposes dipping two rods in an electrolytic aqueous solution, hence connect two rods with a conductor wire. Instantaneously, an electrical current will flow in the wire.
In this feature, you will see that one rod corrodes faster, iron or copper, that depending by electrolyte's nature. Now, I send you Proposal 1 and 2 highlighting two possibilities.

Proposal 1) You dipp two metalic rods in brine's solution, completely not. You connect two rods with conductor wire (WARNING! Wire should be not wetted by brine.). After a week's period, you will see coloured iron's corrosion products. What will be these colours? They could be greenish but theirs hue is dependent by aeration's rate (e.g. oxygen uptake's solution) whole darkens them (e.g. brownish hue).

Proposal 2) You dipp two metalic rods in sulphide salt's solution (e.g. Na2S and/or NaHS), completely not. You connect two rods with conductor wire (WARNING! Wire should be not wetted by brine.). After a week's period, you will see black coating on copper's surface.

I hope this helps you.

Answer 2

Based on the electrochemical series, iron (Fe) reacts faster than copper (Cu). It can therefore be assumed that iron would corrode first. Copper is used for hot water pipes because it traps and conserves more heat than iron. Technically, it would make more sense to use copper as material for boilers too. However, iron is commonly used, so as to reduce costs of the heating ware (cost-effectiveness). And since it is also a good conductor of heat and relatively affordable and accessible, it serves as a good alternative.

Answer 3

Iron corrodes faster as it is more reactive than Copper. As it is present above the Copper in the electrochemical series. So it will react faster than Copper.

Answer 4

It'll depend upon the situation in which they are kept.

e.g. if coper and iron rods are put in to some electovoltaic cell as electrodes copperwill be the answer

but if u keep both of them in open environment iron will have an edge on the other one.