why do we put salt on sidewalks when it snows?

Question: why do we put salt on sidewalks when it snows?
- Keywords:
  salt,
  sidewalk,
  snow
Asked by kevin to Kamal on 23 Jan 2017.
- Kamal Bhattacharya answered on 23 Jan 2017:
  
  Salt lowers the freezing point of water, i.e. instead of freezing at 0 degrees, it freezes at less degrees depending on the salt solution. So you prevent icing further.