what will happen when aluminum foil and metal(ex. gold silver(fake)) combine?

Question

does it add neutron/proton ? can you pls explain what will happen. pls? :D thanks

we are using ELECTROPLATING (for our project i science).

we used hot water, aluminum foil, lime and gold(necklace,fake ).

We tried to clean our rusty gold neclace by putting it in a bowl with warm water and lime. after 24 hours...it became shiny and like new.

so what did it make shiny and rusty? does the aluminum adds the shine thing for the neclace?

Answer 1

The stuff with the neutrons and protons confuses people - that's only gonna change with nuclear reactions.

What sounds like is happening, is that you are creating a bimetal "battery type" setup, with the aluminum going into solution at one end, driving current between the two metals and through the solution, which is removing oxides from the necklace. This is a common way to clear silverware.

The different potentials of the metals in a solution will form a battery. Put zinc and copper in an electrolyte solution and you'll read a potential (voltage) between them. This is what you're doing, just letting the current flow in the process and it's removing the oxides from the necklace.

The only thing the aluminum is adding is being a "sacrificial anode". As it goes into solution, it's generating a current that goes through the necklace, and the oxide is being dissolved off in the electrolytic process.

Answer 2

Your question is not very clear. Combining metals usually makes an alloy. It is not a chemical or nuclear reaction.