V Dissolved oxygen in water usually causes the oxidation of iron. Oxidation occurs at the site with the greatest concentration of O 2 . Other factors to consider are the pH, presence of salts, stress on the iron, and contact with other metals. Preventing the Corrosion of Iron Corrosion can be prevented by coating the iron with paint or another metal. This prevents oxygen and water from reacting at the iron surface.
Galvanized iron is coated with a thin layer of zinc.
The standard reduction potentials indicate that Zn is easier to oxidize than Fe. We can use a similar process to protect underground pipelines. V 20.9 Electrolysis Electrolysis reactions are nonspontaneous reactions that require an external current in order to force the reaction to proceed. In voltaic and electrolytic cells, reduction occurs at the cathode, and oxidation occurs at the anode. However, in electrolytic cells, electrons are forced to flow from the anode to cathode.