How does salt and grit melt snow. what occurs during this proccess?
Water becomes ice at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius), which we call the freezing point of water. Adding salt to water lowers the freezing point, thus preventing the formation of ice. The primary difference between water and ice is the speed at which the molecules move. In water, the molecules move more rapidly than in ice. The temperature of the water is changed by adding or removing heat. As heat is removed, the water molecules slow down. At the freezing point, the motion of the molecules is slow enough that the water becomes ice. When salt is added to water, the salt and water molecules stick together, heat then must be removed to slow down and separate the combined salt and water molecules. The removal of the additional heat is required to freeze the salt-water combination. This means that the temperature at which it freezes is below that of pure water. Sand or grit does not melt ice or snow, it lays on top of the ice/snow and allows traction for tires whe
