why does rock salt melt snow and table salt doesn't? what's the difference?

Question

just wondering...i honestly cannot find the answer anywhere else =\

Answer 1

Table salt will melt snow. If you have some, give it a try. People just don't use it because it's more expensive than rock salt.

I have a trick that I can do. I can pick up a cube of ice using a piece of thread without touching the cube and without tying a knot with the thread.
The trick is ordinary table salt. Lay the thread on the cube, then pour some salt on the cube. It will melt the ice on top of the cube long enough for the thread to lay in the water, then it will freeze back up and the thread will be stuck in the ice, after which you can pick it up by the thread. This only works because table salt will melt ice.

Answer 2

Table salt will melt ice.

Any salt will melt ice. That's why you can't find the answer. Sodium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate.....

Some just work better than others. And you probably haven't dumped pounds of table salt on ice but you probably have with rock salt.

Answer 3

Yeah I was wondering that same thing but I got made fun of and called stupid when I asked...I hope you find an answer because I really want to know. I thought that the rock salt was just a bigger form of table salt but I think I was wrong.

Answer 4

The salt absords the cold leaving the snow to melt.

Rock salt on the road prevents ice build up.

Answer 5

Table salt also melts snow, did you even try?

Answer 6

table salt WILL melt snow

Answer 7

ok:according to "Rock Salt it's been used as Watersoftener "
because that helps ice melt alot easier than regular Table
brand " refer http://www.cloud.seeding.com

Answer 8

They are two different chemical compounds and therefore they have different melting points.
Check this out:
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa120703a.htm

Answer 9

It does.