Final answer:
Freezing point depression allows solutions to reach lower temperatures than pure solvents, accounting for applications like antifreeze in engines and de-icing on roads. The addition of solutes lowers the freezing point by disrupting the crystal lattice structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon that produces solutions capable of reaching temperatures lower than those seeming possible is known as freezing point depression. This occurs when a solute is added to a solvent, resulting in a solution that has a lower freezing point than the pure solvent.
Seawater is another example, freezing at a lower temperature than fresh water, allowing cold-blooded sea animals to survive in oceans that do not freeze even below 0 °C. The underlying reason for these lowered temperatures is attributed to the interaction between the solute and solvent molecules, which disrupts the formation of a solid crystal lattice, therefore requiring a colder environment to solidify the solution.