+23 votes
in Science of Everyday Life by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+1 vote
by

No, adding salt to water does not make it boil faster. In fact, adding salt to water slightly increases the boiling point of the water, which means it will take slightly longer for the saltwater to reach its boiling point compared to plain water.

The boiling point of water is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure. When you add salt to water, the presence of dissolved salt ions interferes with the water molecules' ability to escape as vapor, and this reduces the vapor pressure of the water. As a result, the saltwater needs to be heated to a higher temperature to reach the same vapor pressure and boiling point as plain water.

However, it's essential to note that the difference in boiling points between saltwater and plain water is relatively small and generally not very noticeable in everyday cooking situations. The primary reason to add salt to water when cooking is to enhance the flavor of the food being cooked, not to speed up the boiling process.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...