In this oxidation/reduction experiment, we see chemical oxidation (the loss of electrons) and reduction (the gain of electrons) firsthand.

The electrons are drawn from the aluminum foil causing the foil to discolor. These electrons were drawn to the tarnish on the silver spoon, changing it back to shiny silver.

This experiment can be done with silver coins, jewelry, or silver serving pieces. Our silver-plated spoon was pretty tarnished, so the reaction took longer than the few minutes on the video. After 30 minutes in our solution, parts of the spoon were shiny while others were still discolored. I am assuming because of the age of the piece, much of the silver plating had simply worn off revealing the base metal below.

Try this project at home and let us know how it goes!

For more homeschool science inspiration and information, check out past Lab Reports.