[Sca-cooks] Re: OT:new question

[Generys ferch Ednuyed]

Actually, that's not how it works.  Adding any salt to pure water actually
**raises** the boiling point, and lowers the freezing point.  The reason it
raises the boiling point is here:
http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/Chemistry/Original/c00064d.html -
basically it makes it harder for any given molecule to acquire enough energy
to achieve a gaseous state.  So the water comes to a boil slower, but once
it *is* boiling, the temperature is hotter and thus the pasta (or whatever)
cooks faster...

Generys

----- Original Message -----
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2002 9:55 AM
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: OT:new question


| Adding salt reduces the specific heat of water, which in turn reduces the
| number of calories the water must absorb to bring it to a boil.  It
doesn't
| alter the boiling point, just the amount of heat needed to reach it.
|
| Bear
|
| o: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
| >
| > I don't remember being taught that it needed to be hot *or*
| > cold. And my
| > dad (the family pasta cooker) was more apt to put a bit of oil in the
| > pasta water than salt, to keep it from sticking together.  I suspect
| > there's a reason for the salt, above-and-beyond the possible
| > flavor from
| > the salt (?), but I don't know what it is.  Maybe it alters
| > the boiling
| > temp of the water or something?
| > --maire,
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