Interesting Fact of the Day

Have you ever wondered how salt melts ice? Its not exactly how you think it does...

Everyday here in Indiana, West Lafayette there is a lot of salt on the ground to avoid ice which could cause severe issues. In colder climates at least, people use salt to reduce the formation of ice.

How does it work?

Well salt not only melts the ice....
The temperature for water to freeze into ice is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius. When salt is added, it chemically reacts with the solid ice melting it. It changes the ice into water and with the added rock salt; however, people do not realize is that this new chemical formula makes the water harder to freeze afterward. Instead the 0 or 32 degrees (Celsius/Fahrenheit) it now requires a colder environment.

Also the fact that if the roadways exceed a 15 degree Fahrenheit or -10 Celsius temperature the salt will not have any affect on it. The salt will simply lay there...