Final answer:
The conclusion from Jerry's experiment is that adding salt to water does lower its freezing point, due to the presence of salt ions that interfere with ice formation. The degree of freezing point depression is proportional to the number of solute particles present, not their identity or chemical composition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jerry's experiment relates to a colligative property known as freezing point depression, which is the effect that the addition of a solute has on the freezing point of a solvent. According to the data and principles of colligative properties, when salt is added to water, it will lower the water's freezing point. This is because the presence of solute particles (in this case, salt ions) interferes with the formation of ice crystals, thereby requiring a lower temperature to achieve the solid phase of water. A conclusion that could be drawn is that adding salt to the cup of water does indeed affect its freezing point, making the water freeze at a temperature lower than 0 °C.
This concept is practically applied in colder climates, where salt is used on roads to lower the freezing point of water, reducing ice formation and making them safer to travel on. However, the effectiveness of this method is limited, as at certain low temperatures, such as below -35°C, salts become ineffective as they no longer significantly depress the freezing point.
The amount by which the freezing point is depressed is dependent on the number of solute particles, not the type of particles. Therefore, if the concentration (molality) of two different salts is the same, their impact on the freezing point of water would be similar. For example, a 1 M solution of NaCl or CaCl2 would both lower the freezing point of water, but CaCl2 would have a greater effect because it produces more solute particles in solution (three particles per formula unit as opposed to two for NaCl).