Sodium chloride on ice...

[Externet]

Pouring some ClNa on ice is a practice to melt ice. As is done on pavements.

Pouring some ClNa on ice is a practice to lower the ice temperature and prevents melting of ice. As done on keeping fish mixed with ice for its transportation or storage.

Well, it is one, the other or... both. Promotes melting; prevents melting ?

Explain please ?

[Strange]

It lowers the freezing point.

 

Which means that, on a pavement, it is no longer cold enough for ice to remain as ice.

 

But in an insulated environment the ice will turn to water at a lower temperature. So the ice/water mixture will have a lower temperature. (When the ice melts, it absorbs heat from the surroundings.)

 

Weird, huh?

Edited October 16, 2014 by Strange

[John Cuthber]

 

Pouring some ClNa on ice is a practice to lower the ice temperature and prevents melting of ice.

For a start, it's NaCl.

Anyway, adding salt to ice causes the ice to melt; it doesn't prevent it.