Can you explain scientificly why salt water has a lower freezing point than plain water?

Answer 1

Impurities (in this case salt) will result in a lower freezing point and FYI, a higher boiling point.

When the temperature of salt water is lowered, the molecules within in will lose energy and hence come closer together to try to form the hydrogen bonding required for ice. However, as impurities (salt) are in the way, they need to lose more energy so as to create the necesssary bonding. Hence the lower freezing point.

A similar concept applies for its boiling point.

Answer 2

Salt Water Freezing

Answer 3

Temperature is more correctly referred to as heat which is more correctly referred to as particle energy of matter. And, cold is simiply the absence of heat. At a certain level of particle energy, the molecules of H2O will go from a liquid to a solid phase. If there are other items, such as salt, in the mixture, these must be removed from the mixture in order for the leftover water molecules to solidify or freeze. This is what happens at the edge of an iceberg. The "salts" are leeched away from the water molecules and then the water molecules transition to their solid phase as ice. The "salts" and other molecules are already solid and have a level of particle energy that keeps them in motion. If the salts cannot be removed from suspension in the salt water mixture, it will not freeze, the salts will always provide enough energy to keep the water liquid by bouncing around with the water molecules preventing them from solidifying. So, even if the "temperature" or energy level of the mixture is low enough for regular water to freeze, it is not low enough for the salt molecules to stop their particle motion.

Answer 4

Technically, salt water does not freeze. The icebergs in the oceans have been tested extensively and they are only chemically composed of water and air pockets. The salt tends to shift to the outside edge of the berg. The salt can actually be scraped off the edges of the giant ice block. So for all technical purposes the frozen substance is actually just water and nothing more. The freezing point of the ocean water is considerably higher then that of plain H2O. Remember that dissolving any substance in water raises or lowers the freezing and boiling point.

Answer 5

No quantum ph, you are wrong. Heat is not another name for temperature.
Heat is an amount amount of energy.
Temperature is the intensity of that energy.

For example a heavy object at low temperature can have more heat than a light object at high temperature.

Heat = Heat capacity x temperature

Answer 6

presence of salt on water surface reduces vapour pressure of water thus leading to lower vapour pressure

Answer 7

Yes, read your chemistry textbook.

Chapter: Solutions, Topic: Colligative Properties.

Answer 8

Because it has salt in it.