Galvanized steel is best described as steel coated with which element to prevent rust?

• A. Zinc
• B. Copper
• C. Aluminum
• D. Lead

Answer: (A)

Galvanized steel is coated with zinc to prevent rust because zinc provides both a physical barrier and sacrificial protection for iron. Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it corrodes first, forming protective zinc compounds and a barrier layer that keeps moisture and oxygen away from the steel. Even if the coating is scratched, the zinc still protects the exposed steel by sacrificing itself, slowing further rusting of the underlying iron. Other metals like copper, aluminum, or lead don’t offer the same protective behavior with iron in typical outdoor or wet environments; they either don’t provide the same sacrificial protection or can set up unfavorable galvanic reactions with steel. So, the coating used in galvanized steel is zinc.