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Does sodium in salt melt ice cubes?

Updated: 9/17/2023
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14y ago

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It is both the sodium and chlorine in salt that melts ice. Water (H2O) is a polar material. Oxygen is partially negative, while the hydrogen is partially positive. Surface tension in water (the reason water bugs can walk on the surface without breaking through) is due to water molecules lining up so that the positive hydrogens of one molecule associate with the negative oxygen of another. This is called hydrogen bonding, and should not be thought of as an actual binding so much as a strong association.
Melting point and boiling point are affected by how strongly a substance's molecules interact with each other. The stronger the interaction, the higher the freezing and boiling point as the molecules want to "stick" together more.
So when salt (sodium chloride, or Na+Cl-) is dissolved in water the positive sodium ion associates with the negative oxygen and the negative chloride ion associates with the positive hydrogen. This decreases the interaction of the water molecules with themselves. Since there is less interaction, melting/freezing point of water decreases from 0oC to as low as -10oC.

In conclusion, you put salt on ice, which has a thin layer of melted water on the surface. the salt dissolves in this, and begins to melt more and more of the ice from the decreased melting point.

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14y ago
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Q: Does sodium in salt melt ice cubes?
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Salt cubes will also melt at temperatures of -38


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