Question

The substance used by homeowners and municipal workers to melt ice on sidewalks and roadways is usually calcium chloride rather than sodium chloride. Discuss two possible rea-sons for this preference.

Answer 1

Answer:

1. It dissolves much more ice faster than sodium chloride

2. Calcium chloride is more effective in melting ice at lower temperatures.

Explanation:

Salts are used to melt ice on roadways and sidewalks because they help to lower the freezing point of water.

Sodium chloride and calcium chloride are both salts used for this purpose but calcium chloride is usually preferred for the following two reasons:

1. It dissolves much more ice faster than sodium chloride: Calcium chloride dissolves much more ice faster than sodium chloride because when it dissociates, it produces three ions instead of the two produced when sodium chloride. Therefore, the heat of hydration of its ions is greater than that of sodium chloride.

2. Calcium chloride is more effective in melting ice at lower temperatures. It lowers the freezing point of water more than sodium chloride. Calcium chloride is able to lower the freezing point of water to about -52°C while sodium chloride only lowers it to about -6°C.