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No_Masterpiece6568 t1_j6udjvv wrote

By adding salt to the water you are increasing the number of dissolved particles in the water (this is quantitated as the molality of the solution). This decreases the freezing point of water and therefore the temperature of the ice/water mixture because it will always equilibrate at the freezing point of water as long as there is both ice and water present in the mixture. This is known as "freezing point depression".

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SnowboardSyd t1_j6wg2zs wrote

This is the correct answer. It's why magnesium chloride is applied to roads in the winter, to prevent water from freezing by utilizing the same principal. Interesting to note that since mag chloride has an additional chloride atom, it can lower the freezing point by more degrees than rock salt.

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