Activity 4 1-19-11 Dissolving

Show an image or animation or description of what is happening when water dissolves NaCl.

Why is the freezing point lowered when salt is added to water?

When salt is added to water it lowers the freezing point. The water molecules form crystals when freeze.  The salt gets in the way of the water molecules, making it harder for the water molecules to become crystals again. This then means that salt water remain a liquid for  a longer time as the temperature gets colder.