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by dysFUNctional on January 5th, 2007
actually, you'll find that adding solute to water generally lowers its freezing point. That is why salt melts ice.
If it is 0 degrees celsius, Ideal water freezes. When you add salt to it, the salt is ionized by the water molecules, dissolving it into solution. It takes a temperature of -5 degrees Celsius (this is just an example, not an actual value) for the water to break its association with the ions and freeze as a pure substance.
by Sympho de Proggy on October 19th, 2008
yup,
when salts solute in water they break apart as ions
for example table salt, NaCl, becomes Na+(aq) Cl-(aq)
water, which is already somewhat polarizes, reacts to the soluted ions by polarizing further, thus making the bonds between water molecules more powerful
stronger bonds means more it takes more energy to keep them apart, means they'll solidify at a higher temperature
by Anonymous on January 25th, 2009
yes, salt water freezes slower because itt brings the freezing point of the water down to 21 degrees c.
by Abbyguy on January 18th, 2007
No.
by bandgeek6516 on January 18th, 2007
Adding salt to water lowers its freezing point. Water will not freeze faster if salt is added to it because the salt will allow the water to become super-cooled(lower than water's freezing temperature) which means the solution would have to be cooled farther before it would freeze.
by cami1211 on January 18th, 2007
it will make it freeze slower... just look at the ocean .. compared to a lake.
by Kumbaya on January 12th, 2007
Well, I think that Salt doesn't melt ice (it's ice so it may not dissolve) but makes it melt at a lower point, I've herad about -20ºC I think...
by Im Alec has abandoned this account on January 12th, 2007
Water is harder to freeze, i.e. freezes slower, if ice is added to it. That is why they put salt on the roads in icy weather. And the freezing point in the Fahrenheit system is 32 because Mr Fahrenheit used a mix of salt and water to calibrate the zero point of his system.
by Adriana_D on October 4th, 2010
Regular cooking salt has a literium which is an ingredient called Onoexrodicerant (hono-eksra-dys-arent) which might give a salty bitter taste. Onoexrodicerant includes minerals that slow down the freezing process. Tap water, on the other hand, is plain so the liquid squeezes and hardens into a solid. Also, if bacteria is added to the water, it will freeze even faster than plain because bacteria eats up whatever has been added to the mixture.
Thank you for reading,
Dr. Partelesiarn
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Comments
Sorry if the answer goes off on a tangent. I am probably going into a chemistry-based career and I cannot help not to give technical answers
by dysFUNctional on January 5th, 2007
so fresh water freezes faster
by samtheman on January 5th, 2007
Not necessarily faster, sam, but at a warmer temperature than salt water.
by scubabob on January 18th, 2007
dysFUNctional, I posted an answer here, tell me why it's not true,
I study chemistry as well :)
by Sympho de Proggy on October 19th, 2008