What is iron coated with zinc called?

• A. Alloy steel
• B. Stainless iron
• C. Galvanized iron
• D. Zinc-treated iron

Answer: (C)

Coating iron with zinc is called galvanizing. The zinc layer protects the iron by acting as a barrier to moisture and oxygen, and even more importantly, it provides sacrificial protection: zinc corrodes before iron, so if the coating is scratched, the surrounding zinc keeps the iron from rusting. This makes galvanized iron much more resistant to corrosion. Common methods include hot-dip galvanizing (dipping in molten zinc) and electrogalvanizing (electroplating). The result is galvanized iron, a standard term for iron or steel coated with zinc. Other terms like alloy steel, stainless iron, or zinc-treated iron don’t describe this zinc coating.