The process of coating ferrous metal with zinc is

• A. Plating
• B. Anodizing
• C. Zinc coating
• D. Galvanizing

Answer: (D)

Coating iron or steel with zinc is galvanizing. This term refers to applying a zinc layer to ferrous metals to protect them from rust. Zinc not only serves as a physical barrier but also provides sacrificial protection: if the coating is damaged, zinc will corrode before the underlying iron, helping prevent rust from reaching the metal beneath.

Plating is a general electrochemical coating process that can apply many metals, but it’s not the specific term for zinc coating on iron/steel. Anodizing creates a protective oxide layer—primarily used on aluminum and some other metals—not a zinc coating for ferrous metals. A zinc coating describes the result, but the standard process name for protecting iron or steel with zinc is galvanizing.