What melts ice faster rock salt or table salt?

Answer 1

No, because rock salt and table salt are both Sodium Chloride NaCl. Both of these forms of salt cause the melting point of water to decrease equally, so 1 kg of rock salt has exactly the same effect as 1 kg of table salt.

Answer 2

Table salt is faster, because it is much finer (typically less than 0.5mm diameter) so there is greater contact between the ice and the salt.

Rock salt is generally preferred for de-icing because as well as some fine salt, it has particles typically up to 5mm. These larger particles 'burn' through ice down to the tarmac, then melt the ice from the bottom up - so that passing car tyres or pedestrians break the ice into loose slush. Larger particles also provide residual protection against refreeze in the early hours of the morning.

Sea salt comes in a variety of grades (particle sizes), to match anything through from table salt through to rock salt.

Answer 3

Before I did an experiment on which salt melts ice the fastest and my results showed that sea salt melts ice the fastest. Rock Salt is cheaper to use though.

Answer 4

Neither melt faster.. However it should be noticed that saline solution (effectively salt water) has a lower freezing tempterature. Both pure water and salinated water can have one of three (or all three) states; SOlid, liquid and/or gaseous.

The correct way to see this question (or the answer) is 'Which would melt first'. Given both start off in a solid state, absolute zero (0 °K or -237.15 °C) and the temperateure is gradually raised, the salinised solution would start melting first. BUT the temperateure that it starts to melt at, varies. e.g. Sea Water is ~23% salt, this normally freezed (And likewise defrosts) at -21°C. Carry on raising the termperature, then the same would happen to the pure water at around 0°C. i say "around" and not exactly as different factors play a role in melting temperates i.e. atmospheric pressure (i.e. height above/below sealevel), impurities.

Answer 5

Table salt would actually melt ice faster than rock salt. The reason for this, is that table salt is much finer.

Answer 6

All are sodium chloride, NaCl; only the granulation has a role.

Answer 7

Well table salt melts it faster but they are about the same

Answer 8

Heat