Eli5: Why does water boil faster when you add salt?

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Eli5: Why does water boil faster when you add salt?

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2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I don’t think it boils faster; it’s just that salt changes the temperature that water boils at. If you add salt to your water, it changes the chemical composition of the water, and it will not boil until it gets hotter than the usual 100C, thus allowing you to cook foods faster. Once a liquid hits its boiling point, it will not get any hotter

Anonymous 0 Comments

Salted water does not resist temperature change as much as fresh water, but salt water must reach a higher temperature before it begins to boil. Salt ions bond with water molecules making them harder to move, fresh water molecules are easier to move and heat up.

The difference is essentially nonexistent unless you have a ridiculous amount of salt in the water, so salted water for cooking only technically boils faster. It won’t help you in any practical or noticeable manner for cooking as far as speed to boil.