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Why Does Metal Rust? (And Why Should We Care?)

Season 1 Episode 7 | 8m 28s

Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez Esquivel team up with fellow NOVA producer Alex Clark to investigate a chemistry problem that has been eating at Alex (or rather, at his classic S13 Nissan Silvia) — rust. But rust isn’t only a challenge for protecting Alex’s sweet ride. It’s also a chemistry problem that engineers must tackle in order to protect the United States’ aging infrastructure.

Aired: 09/29/21
Extras
Can chemistry help us save precious art?
Will antibodies be the heroes of the COVID pandemic?
How did the molecules that make our world—and us—come to be?
Can we turn atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone to help slow global warming?
We have a plastic waste dilemma. Will innovative biodegradable plastics offer a solution?
Explore the properties of glass and how it forms the basis of the fiber optic network.
Methane—the potent molecule we use to heat our homes—is also seriously heating our planet
Why is water so crucial to us—and to all life on Earth? The clues lie in our sweat.
Latest Episodes
Can chemistry help us save precious art?
Will antibodies be the heroes of the COVID pandemic?
How did the molecules that make our world—and us—come to be?
Can we turn atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone to help slow global warming?
We have a plastic waste dilemma. Will innovative biodegradable plastics offer a solution?
Explore the properties of glass and how it forms the basis of the fiber optic network.
Methane—the potent molecule we use to heat our homes—is also seriously heating our planet
Why is water so crucial to us—and to all life on Earth? The clues lie in our sweat.