Cleaning pennies and making them shiny again is a fun experiment you can do with kids. It’s also a great way to explain the science behind why pennies turn green and rust overtime.
Take the Statue of Liberty for example. The statue was a gift from the French, celebrating the alliance of France and the United States during the American Revolution. The once shiny copper statue turned green over the years from being exposed to the open air.
When copper undergoes chemical reactions from the environment, the metal develops an outer layer called a patina.
The patina actually protects the copper below the surface from further corrosion, making it a good water-proofing material for roofs (which is why the roofs of so many old buildings are bright green).
Well, the same idea applies to pennies that rust and turn green. However, most people you ask would probably choose a penny’s natural shine over green any day of the week.
If you have old tarnished pennies, here is an easy non-toxic way to make them shiny and new again.
Cleaning Pennies Science Experiment
All you need for this science experiment are vinegar, salt, a glass jar, and dirty pennies.
1. Fill the jar with vinegar half way.
2. Stir 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Add dirty pennies to the mixture.
4. Rinse the pennies with water.
5. After a few minutes, take out a few pennies and lay them on a paper towel to dry.
What’s Happening?
The salt and vinegar loosen the residue. This is called copper oxide. The un-rinsed pennies will have some of the solution on the them. When the oxygen in the air hits them, the pennies will turn bluish-green.
We hope you give this a try with your kiddos. Please don’t forget to give this video a try and subscribe to Anastasia’s channel for more science experiments. While you’re at it, subscribe to Weather Anchor Mama on YouTube.