Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V (Bicol)
City Schools Division of Ligao
LIGAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Ligao City

The Effect of a Solid's Dissolution in Water on its Freezing

Point

Ramirez, Allyssa Nicole Paula

Miraflor, Hannah Mae
Pojol, Pauleen Mae
Moratillo, Sofia
 The Effect of a Solid's Dissolution in Water on its Freezing
Point

ABSTRACT

In this simple investigation, our aim is to determine the effect of adding a solute in a pure solvent
in its freezing point. Water has a significant impact on our daily lives. Salt is a chemical
compound that is used in cooking, food preservation, and other applications. When these two
substances are combined, the effect on the freezing point is determined. The goal of this
experiment is to determine how a solute, salt, affects the freezing point of a solvent, water. The
results showed that after 5 hours of freezing the three containers, the first container containing
pure water was the fastest to freeze, followed by the second container with a small amount of
salt, and the third container, with a greater amount of salt than the second container, was the last
to freeze.

INTRODUCTION

In 1882, he demonstrated (Raoult's law) that the decrease in the freezing point of a given solvent
was proportional to the mass of substance dissolved divided by the molecular weight of the
substance. He later demonstrated a similar effect for solution vapor pressure.

He discovered empirical relationships between quantities, which led him to conduct numerous
measurements of solutes in various solvents, accumulating a body of data in support of the
aforementioned relationship over time. When Raoult used sodium chloride as a solute in 1884,
he discovered a curious exception to the rule: the effect on the freezing point of water was nearly
twice as large as it should have been. He then found something odd about how common salt
behaved in solution.

Have you ever wondered why ice cream does not easily melt even if ice cream vendors roam
around in your area on a sunny day? To lower the melting point of ice cream, salt is added to it.
The amount of salt used determines the decrease in freezing point. The salt causes an
endothermic reaction, reducing the freezing temperature of ice and thus making it colder which
prolongs the melting of ice cream. For further understanding, when solute is added to a solvent,
the freezing point of the solution will be lowered than the freezing point of a solvent due to the
fact that when solute particles, such as salt, is added to a solvent, which is water, it blocks the
attraction/interaction between the solvent particles, which causes/results to a low freezing point.

The results showed that after 5 hours of freezing the three containers at -20⁰C, the first container
containing pure water was the fastest to freeze, followed by the second container with ¼ tsp or
1.25 ml of salt, and the third container with ½ tsp or 2.5 ml was the last to freeze. It also shows
that pure water freezes faster than water mixed with salt, which freezes slower because salt
molecules slow down the process of turning into ice. The greater amount of solute is added, the
slower it freezes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MATERIALS:

 Measuring Spoon
 Salt
 Water
 Three identical containers/bowl
 Refrigerator

Freezing of Water. The researchers prepared three identical containers. Each bottle holds 105
mL of water. The first container is filled with pure water. The first container contains pure water,
while the second container contains water added with ¼ teaspoon of salt, and the third container
contains water added with ½ teaspoon of salt. Then we put it in the freezer and let it freeze for 5
hours at -20⁰C temperature. For a more detailed and thorough observation, we check the
condition/state of the water every hour.
 FIGURE 1. Three
FIGURE 2. Wecontainers
added 1/4were
tsp offilled
salt in the
withsecond
105ml container
of water.

FIGURE 3. We added 1/4 tsp of FIGURE 4. The solution (solute and

salt in the second container solvent combined)

FIGURE 5. We added 1/2 tsp of FIGURE 6. The solution (Solute and

salt in the third container. Solvent combined)
FIGURE 7. The three containers are FIGURE 8. The three containers
ready for freezing. have been placed in the freezer.

FIGURE 9. The three containers have been

placed in the freezer.
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The physical change of water and the effect of the salt can be seen after 5 hours. The pure water
was the fastest among the 3 to completely freeze since there are no salt molecules present in it
that can block the attraction/interaction between the solvent particles. The second container did
not completely freeze since little bit of salt was added to it resulting to the freezing rate to slows
down. The last container also did not completely freeze and it was also the slowest to freeze. The
results of this experiment show that pure water freezes faster than water mixed with salt, which
freezes slower because salt molecules slow down the process of turning into ice.

SET UP 1 SET UP 2 SET UP 3

1 HOUR It began to freeze, but not It still contains some water and It was still full of water
completely. hasn't frozen as much as the first and hadn't frozen yet.
container.

2 HOURS The water is almost turning It still contains some water and Almost all of it is still
into ice. hasn't frozen as much as the first water, but it is slowly
container. freezing.

3 HOURS The water is almost turning It still has some water at the Almost all of it is still
into ice. (only a small bottom and isn't as frozen as the water, but it is slowly
portion is yet to freeze) first container. freezing.

4 HOURS Almost completely frozen It still has some water at the Half of it is still water,
bottom and isn't as frozen as the but it is slowly freezing.
first container.

5 HOURS Completely frozen/ turned It still has some water at the Did not freeze or turn
into ice. bottom and isn't as frozen as the
 first container. into ice.

(AFTER 5 HOURS) (AFTER 5 HOURS) (AFTER 5 HOURS)

SET UP 1 SET UP 2 SET UP 3
It took 5 hours to completely The top froze, but the water at Only a thin layer of ice
freeze. the bottom, where the salt formed at the top, but the rest
was sitting, did not freeze was still liquid and did not
after 5 hours. freeze.

Time: 5 hours to freeze

REFERENCES

Nickerson, O. (2019). The Freezing Point. Unitasccc.org.

https://unitasccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/OliviaNickersonResearchFinalReport.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR0H3HbvLScsZqPm86TkfMyAcuOlcrs41uOb-
0F_iNM-W_1b9-2_S8BgEoI CONCLUSION AND
EXPERIMENT C1: FREEZING POINT DEPRESSION RECOMMENDATI
learning outcomes. (n.d.). Deanza.edu. Retrieved December 12, ON
2022, from
We therefore conclude
that when salt is added to
a pure solvent (water), it
affects the colligative
property of the solution by
lowering its freezing point
https://deanza.edu/chemistry/documents/1c/experiments/Experiment%20C1-%20Freezing
%20Point.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0XfWq1QXqBpRvtEk1wRQta22hd-CWA6P7mLv5-
Rhs76ZpLqrSOtYatJhU

(N.d.). Edu.au. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://arc.nesa.nsw.edu.au/files/science-

act6-ws3.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1LnbG29QfuYOLfZpueuPO7-KGdt_-wNg2meQB0-pmX-
6eYyORmGAYoSCQ

Chemistry of ice-cream making: Lowering the freezing point of water. (2007, May 17). Science
Buddies. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/FoodSci_p013/
cooking-food-science/chemistry-of-ice-cream-making?
fbclid=IwAR0H3HbvLScsZqPm86TkfMyAcuOlcrs41uOb-0F_iNM-W_1b9-2_S8BgEoI

APPENDIX