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Lowering Water's Freezing Point with Salt: A Simple Science Experiment

The natural freezing point of pure water is 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If you add salt to water, however, its freezing point lowers significantly. Water saturated with salt--holding as much salt as it can--has a freezing point of -21 degrees Celsius or -6 degrees Fahrenheit. This task is easy to perform at home with a bit of salt and water. The most common applications for water with a lowered freezing point are making ice cream and de-icing roads.

  • Fill a container with one quart of room temperature water.

  • Add 3.8 tbsp. or 58.45 grams of salt to the water for every 1.8 degree Celsius you want the freezing point to decrease.

  • Stir until the salt dissolves into the solution. When the salt stops dissolving, the water is fully saturated.