What does salt and bioling water produce?

Answer 1

Think of it like this: Water is made of tiny H2O molecules. At room temperature each water molecule has intermolecular forces (hydrogen bonds) that the individual molecules use to hold each other close; these aren't bonds, but rather an attractiveassociation. If these hydrogen bonds were too tight you wouldn't be able to pour water from a pitcher, but they're tight enough that sitting water will bead up or form a 'surface tension'. Think of the water skating bugs (family Gerridae) that walk on top of the water; these bugs wouldn't be possible if there was no stiff surface for them to walk on.

So when you light a flame and place water over top, the water molecules begin to heat and they'll break these hydrogen bonds that naturally hold water molecues in a liquid state at room temperature. The bottom of your pot will be the hottest point so that is where the bubbles of water vapor will form as they travel up to the surface.

Salt, which consists of a sodium and a chloride atom has the chemical symbom NaCl. If you add salt to water before boiling, the salt will be dissolved into a sodium and chloride ion, or NaCl = Na (aq) + Cl- (aq). In the dissolvation process the hydrogen bonds break between the water molecues and new bonds are formed with the salt ions. This process will take engery (heat) away from the water molecules and you're salted water will end up being a colder than before the salt was thrown in. Now you need to add more engery (heat) to break these new bonds that the water has formed with the salt.

Adding salt to water and then boiling will cause the water to come to a higher temperature before boiling, it will also take you longer to get to that point. It also takes longer for salt water to freeze which is why people throw salt on their steps to try and avoid freezing, but that's a different story all together. Salt in boiling water may be important for a chef if he wants to cool his food at a higher temperature, probably even cooking his food faster.