What does cooking oil do to boiling hot water?
To rust, you need two components..air (oxygen) and water. So, when boiling water with oil on the top, im guessing that this would prevent air being exchanged to and from the bubbling water. This would reduce the reaction rate of rusting, and so, the steel nail would rust slower in this situation. As opposed to putting it in just boiling water, the nail would rust faster. There is more air bubbling and more oxygen exchange. You can prevent rusting by storing a nail inside a jar filled with oil. This ensures that the nail has no contact with oxygen or water. Hope this helps!
