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The salt ions interfere with the hydrogen bonding which pulls the water molecules together into their solid crystalline structure, ice, normally at zero degrees Celsius. The sodium and chloride ions form stronger 'bonds' with the water molecules.
Another view: there's more than one way to explain this phenomenon, but I'm
not sure that the hydrogen bonding idea is really the answer.
A useful link is "General Chemistry Online: Why does salt melt ice?"
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoAddding almost any impurity will lower the freezing point. Adding salt is a popular way, but of all ways, adding anti-freeze which is usually a glycol solution (e.g. to a car radiator) is the way that is most often used worldwide.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoImagine water in contact with ice at equilibrium, at zero Celsius. Adding salt or any other water soluble substance shifts the equilibrium in favour of melting: Kinetic equilibrium between water and ice is maintained by constant interchange of water molecules between the solid and liquid phases. After adding a water soluble substance, there is a lower concentration of water molecules in the liquid, but the concentration of water molecules in the ice remains the same. Therefore, the equilibrium is shifted in favor of liquid (Le Chateliere's Principle), and the melting point must decrease to overcome this concentration change in the liquid. This freeezing point depression will be caused by any added solute and does depend on whether the heat of solution is positive, negative, or zero. (Melting point is an equilibrium property.)
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoSalt can be put on ice to lower its melting point.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoSalt is the most common item that lowers the freezing point of water. Seawater always freezes at a much lower temperature than fresh water.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoTable salt (Sodium Chloride) is one substance,
Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol) is another substance.
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What does salt have to do with the freezing point of water?
Adding salt to water the freezing point decrease.
Does salt affect the temperature of water -boiling point - freezing point?
i would opt for the Freezing point. salt decreases the freezing point of water. so if water would normally freeze at 0C, saltwater would freeze at -3C.
Does rock salt effect the freezing point of water?
Rock salt is simply a naturally occuring compound of sodium chloride (the same stuff that is in the shaker on your table). Already a solid, it doesn't really have a freezing point. In a solution of 23% by weight in water, the freezing point is -21.12 oC.
How does NaCl lower the freezing point of water?
Any solute lowers the freezing point; there's nothing special about NaCl. One way to think about this is that the solute molecules "get in the way" of the freezing process: they don't fit into the regular crystalline lattice of the solid, which makes it harder to go from a liquid to a solid, which means the freezing point goes down.
What is the freezing point of a substance?
When the temperture is to cold to bare.
What effect does salt have on the freezing pont of water?
It lowers the freezing point.
What is the Freezing point of cider?
Cider is not a standard product. In fact in some countries it is a non-alcoolic drink in others it contains alcohol. Any substance mixed with water lowers its freezing point [from that of water] and the extent of that shift depends on the amount of the substance.
What does adding antifreeze to water do?
It lowers the freezing point.
What are the effect of impurities on the freezing point of water?
An impurity, such as salt lowers the freezing point of water by interfering with the lattice structure water makes with hydrogen bonding at it's freezing point.
What evaporate faster salt water or regular water?
Regular water evaporates faster because salt or any kind of solute (the substance that dissolves) raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point.
Which compound can be used as the antifreeze in cars radiators by mixing with water?
Any substance that lowers the freezing point of water such as ethylene glycol or propylene glycol which are commonly added to water
Why is salt better than grit to melt ice?
when any substance is dissolved in water, it lowers the freezing point of the substance per concentration of solution. NaCl, commonly known as salt, dissolves very readily in water, lowering the freezing point and thus making water freeze at a lower temperature.
What does salt have to do with the freezing point of water?
Adding salt to water the freezing point decrease.
Why does salt make water colder?
because it lowers the freezing point
How does salt effect the properties of water?
Salt increases the boiling point of water and lowers its freezing point.
How does an antifreeze prevent freezing in cold months and overheating and boiling?
It lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of water.
What does salt do to an ice water bath?
The motivation is to decrease thr freezing point.
