Salt Water

Water that contains dissolved salts, usually table salt, is called salt water. On our planet, saltwater can be found in oceans and salt lakes. Approximately 83% of all the water on the earth is salt water.

How Does the Salt Get into the Sea?

Salt is leached from the rocks of rivers and streams by the water and transported into the sea. Water that evaporates over the ocean does not contain any salt, therefore the salt accumulates in the oceans for millions of years.

How Is Salt Gained from Salt Water?

Worldwide, salt water has an average salt content of 3.5%. So, if you take one litre of water out of the Mediterranean Sea and leave it until all the water has evaporated, you will get 35 grams of salt.

Why Must I Not Drink Salt Water?

Even if you are drinking salt water, you will still die of thirst internally. Your body tries to balance the high salt concentration of ingested water, and thereby it uses up its own water.

The Dead Sea

The salt content of the Dead Sea is around 25%. That means a quarter of all water contains dissolved salt. The dissolved salt renders the water heavier, therefore you can float in the water of the Dead Sea on your back and read the newspaper without swimming.