Question

“The ocean water is saline and not fit for human consumption.” What does the term salinity of ocean water mean? What is the average salinity of ocean water?

Answer 1

The term “salinity of ocean water” refers to the amount of salt dissolved in ocean water. It is a measure of the concentration of salts in water, typically expressed as parts of salt per thousand parts of water.

The average salinity of ocean water is about 35 parts of salt in 1000 parts of water. This means that for every 1000 parts of ocean water, there are 35 parts of dissolved salt. This salinity makes ocean water saline and unfit for human consumption. However, this salt content is useful as a source of common salt (sodium chloride), which has various uses including cooking, preserving fish, and medical saline drips. Sodium, a component of salt, is also an essential element needed by the human body.