Effect of salt on ice

Most people use salt to melt snow and ice and you know it works but don't know how or why, so...

What is the effect of salt on ice?

Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius. When salt is introduced to water it effectively lowers it's freezing point. Hence adding it to snow or ice will make it melt.

The salt molecules bond with the water molecules making it harder for the ice to form. Depending on the concentration of the salt in the water the freezing point changes. For example a 10% salt solution will cause the freezing point to be depressed to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are talking about larger bodies of water then the salt concentration and pressure are both factors of what temperature the water freezes.