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How to Make a Titanium School Project

Titanium occurs naturally as a grey-silver metal. According to Gillets.com, titanium is also three times stronger than steel, lightweight and does not tarnish. Many people choose titanium for their wedding rings for these reasons.

Students may also choose titanium for a simple but clever science project because of another interesting quality. Titanium does not take dye or paint well, but can be colored with electricity. Middle school through college students can demonstrate titanium oxidation with a few simple supplies.

Things You'll Need

9-volt batteries Steel paper clips Electrical tape Paper towels Scissors Cola Bowl Sponge Titanium (sheets, cubes, discs) Alligator clip wires Rubber gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Create battery packs to demonstrate different levels of oxidation. Set one battery aside to be used alone. Place two batteries side by side and wrap electrical tape around them. Place a steel paperclip across their flat bottoms, connecting them, and stick more electrical tape over the paperclip. Create packs of up to seven batteries this way.
- 2
  Cut a few paper towels into different shapes. If you are especially crafty, cut them into fancy stencils to create vines, shooting stars, moons and more on your titanium pieces. Your paper towel shapes will show up on the titanium later.
- 3
  Pour a can of cola, such as Coca-Cola or Diet Pepsi, into a bowl. Dip a sponge into the soda and rub it evenly over your titanium pieces. Set the sponge aside and put on your rubber gloves.
- 4
  Begin with one battery. Place one alligator clip on each of the raised terminals. Clip the other end of one wire to a titanium piece and the end of the other to a paper towel stencil.
- 5
  Touch the paper towel stencil to your titanium. The electricity passing through the paper towel creates a transparent layer of oxidation on the titanium approximately 2.5 light wavelengths thick, making it look yellow. Get blues and other colors by using your other battery packs to increase the volts and the number of oxidation layers.

Rocks & Minerals