why does ice melt faster in salt water and alcohol rather than in tap water or oil?

Question

does it have to do with density

Answer 1

No, it does not have to do with density.

First, the more obvious situation - oil. Ice, which is just the same chemically as liquid water is a polar compound will not melt or dissolve in oil, which is a non-polar compound. It is more of the principle of "like dissolves like" of solubility, not density.

Now, both salt water and alcohol solution will impart a COLLIGATIVE property to the solution called Freezing Point Depression. This means that the solution all around a floating ice will have a temperature of still liquid solution lower than the normal freezing point of 32 F or 0 C. This means the ice will tend to form liquid state melting to find its new equilibrium. Think of the small ice of 'higher' temperature surrounded by the more massive salt water or alcohol solution at a lower temperature.
Application of Q = mC∆T.. Heat lost by ice= heat gained by the solvent at much lower temperature than tap water.
The bigger the temperature difference the more the melting.

Tap water has some dissolved salts but not of enough concentration to materially decrease the freezing point.

In all cases of salt water, tap water or alcohol (another polar compound), the melting or dissolving is further accomplished by the "like dissolves like" principle.

Answer 2

That's easy! The reason is because the ions contained in tap water are less dense than the ions of sodium chloride in the salt water, along with an array of other chemicals. Therefore, when the environment is intruded by the ice, it causes the ice to melt more quickly in the tap water since there is more oxygen to bind with the frozen molecules in the ice. Of course, you'd need to take the temperature of the water, be sure that the ice was approximately the same size (measure the mass) to get a truly accurate reading of which is faster. Hope this helps =]

Answer 3

Salt and alcohol eat into it quicker when the temperature starts to rise.

Answer 4

not exactly. ice possesses a higher hydration energy in salt water or alcohol. therby, easily melting.