Which+Salt+Melts+Ice+The+Fastest

Lauren M   Cary Academy ** ABSTRACT  ** This experiment’s purpose was to determine which type of salt melts ice the fastest. Salts and ice were observed and researched. Magnesium Chloride was found to be the most commonly used salt to melt ice on roads. Therefore, it was hypothesized that Magnesium Chloride would melt ice the fastest. Salt was sprinkled onto a metal block and a cube of ice was placed on top of it. The time the ice took to turn completely into water was measured with a timer. The time was recorded and the experiment was repeated three times for accuracy. The hypothesis was not supported by the results of this experiment. Ice without any salt melted the fastest. This was because in order to melt something you must get the particles moving and warmed up. So without salt, there were fewer particles to get moving and heat up in order to melt the ice. With salt, there were more particles. Magnesium Chloride melted the ice the third fastest probably due to its larger flakes that were harder to dissolve. Iodized salt came in second because of its grainier smaller pieces.
 * WHICH SALT MELTS ICE THE FASTEST **