In order to prevent an iron object from rusting, the object is often connected to another metal that can offer cathodic protection. In this case, a good choice of metal would be
zinc. Zinc is commonly used as a sacrificial anode in cathodic protection systems because it has a higher oxidation potential than iron. When the zinc is connected to the iron object, it corrodes instead of the iron, thereby protecting it from rusting. This is known as the sacrificial anode method, and it is widely used in applications such as galvanized steel and zinc-coated fasteners.
