You drop an ice cube (made from pure water) into a saltwater solution at \(0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) . Explain what happens and why.

Short Answer

Expert verified
When an ice cube made of pure water is dropped into a 0°C saltwater solution, it begins to melt since saltwater remains liquid at 0°C, which is below its freezing point. The melting ice cube dilutes the saltwater, raising its freezing point. Depending on the initial salt concentration and the amount of ice added, part of the saltwater solution might freeze due to this process.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the properties of pure water and saltwater

Pure water freezes at 0°C, which means that at or below this temperature, water turns into ice. However, the freezing point of saltwater is lower than that of pure water due to the dissolved salt that disrupts the formation of ice. So, at 0°C, saltwater is still liquid.
02

Analyze the reaction between ice and saltwater at 0°C

When the ice cube, which is at 0°C, is dropped into the saltwater, the saltwater's temperature remains at 0°C because it is below the freezing point of saltwater. The pure ice cube is at its freezing/melting point, so energy from the saltwater is absorbed by the ice as it begins to melt.
03

Explain the result

As the ice absorbs energy from the saltwater, it starts to melt. As it melts, the saltwater solution becomes slightly more diluted with freshwater, which in turn raises the freezing point. At some point, the temperature might be low enough for the dilute saltwater solution to begin freezing, forming more ice.
04

Conclusion

In conclusion, when an ice cube made of pure water is dropped into a saltwater solution at 0°C, it will begin to melt due to the saltwater being above the freezing point of pure water. The melting of the ice cube will slightly dilute the saltwater, raising its freezing point. Depending on the initial concentration of salt in the solution and the amount of ice added, it may cause part of the saltwater solution to freeze as well.

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