Buzz
With winter's arrival, those in colder regions know exactly what to expect: snow and ice. While a winter wonderland can be beautiful, the risk of slipping and falling can lead to some serious injuries.
Enter the highway department! Before snow even begins to fall, trucks driven by government workers cruise the streets, spreading salt across the roads.
The main reason we spread salt on icy roads is that salt lowers the freezing point of water. Normally, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but with the addition of salt, this temperature can drop to 20 degrees—or even as low as 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Contrary to what you might think, there’s no real difference between the salt on the roads and the salt in your kitchen. The only distinction is the size. Road salt comes in larger crystalline chunks, while table salt is finely ground into tiny grains.
If you’re ever in the mood for a little scientific fun, try sprinkling salt on ice and placing it in freezing water. You'll see the water around each salt grain start to melt, and soon the melting spreads rapidly.
