What is the most efficient substance for melting ice?

Question

salt, sand or sugar ? why ?

Answer 1

a substance can only fuction as a melting point-depressing impurity if it is able to dissolve into the solid at the molecular level. only sugar and salt can do this. sand is out of the question now.

since your question requires efficiency, i assume it refers to the magnitude of melting point depression per mass of impurity used. this would undoubtedly go to salt, since a sodium chloride ion pair weighs less than a sucrose molecule, and sodium chloride dissolves to form two impurity ions. salt totally trumps sugar.

there are better compounds for melting ice, but they use nacl to salt roads because it is easy to obtain and it is safe to use on the environment.

Answer 2

i would say salt or sand cause they salt the sidewalks and sand the roads where i live never heard of sugar being put on ice before! lol

Answer 3

salt, that is what the Highway Dept used to use to melt ice off the roads before they found out that it takes paint off cars too. Now they use sand.

Answer 4

First, you answer this, Why have been melting ice cubes? in any case, think of a diamond and solar. easy enters the diamond a bounces around and makes it sparkle. properly the microwaves are like solar, and the ice cube is form of a diamond. the microwaves enter inflicting warmth and the warmth is trapped interior the ice cube inflicting it to soften immediately.

Answer 5

salt, because when you mix the two together the salt dissolves into the water/ice and lowers the freezing point of the water. same way salt in water raises the boiling point

Answer 6

as far as I know , it is salt.
but i dont remember exactly why, i think it is related to temperature

Answer 7

all of the above, it absorbs heat from the sun.

Answer 8

salt & fire