Does regular table salt melt ice?

Answer by  NHanselman (144)

Table salt or sodium chloride will increase salinity in water and lower the freezing point. Road crews use a sodium-based salt with a variety of other chemicals in the mix.

Answer by  rhelt (461)

No, but technically there isn't any salt that "melts ice". Salt lowers the freezing point of water. If the new freezing point is lower than the temperature outside, then the outside air melts the snow/ice. To directly answer your question, most of the time the salt road crews put down is identical to what you use on your food.

Answer by  Travis404607 (3916)

Regular table salt will melt ice, but more of it is required, and the process is slower than road salt. Road salt is often chemically treated and larger in crystaline form than table salt. All salt is positively charged, so it has melting properties when coming into contact with ice.

Answer by  shane1189 (19)

Yes regular table salt melts ice. Regular table salt can be used to melt the ice on the roads in snow.