How Does Acidity Affect Copper Corrosion

Overview

The goal of this experiment was to determine whether copper corrodes more quickly in acidic water than in neutral water. While copper is essential to your health, having too much can be toxic. In older structures, drinking water can have small amounts of copper from the copper pipes in old buildings. When drinking water is acidic, it can leach copper from the pipes into the water, resulting in a metallic flavor and staining in the sink. The experiment examined how higher acidity affected the rate of corrosion using copper pennies as models of copper surfaces to better understand this process. Over a period of 10 minutes under controlled conditions, the pennies were submerged in two test solutions: vinegar (acidic) and distilled water (neutral), each within 10 milliliters of liquid. The independent variable was the solution type, while the dependent variables were the amount of corrosion resulting from corrosion of the copper coins and the color change of the solution. All other variables were controlled so that each test would be consistent in quantity of liquid, physical characteristics of copper coins, duration remaining in the solution, and a controlled environment. After exposure to the test liquids, I documented any observable changes in both the coins and the solutions.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Chemistry (Junior Division) · Entry J-05-04

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