Ocean Water Properties and Chemical Composition

What is the primary reason why ocean water is not suitable for drinking, cooking, or watering plants?

What is the main source of salt in the oceans?

What happens to the salt in oceans as water from the surface evaporates?

What is a unique property of ocean water?

What is the percentage of Earth's water that is found in oceans?

What is the name of the mineral that is the main source of salt in ocean water?

What gases are dissolved in ocean water?

What is the result of excessive growth of ocean plants due to nitrogen-rich fertilizer runoff?

What is the role of oceans in the study of global climate changes?

What affects the temperature of ocean water?

Why does it take longer for the sun's energy to heat ocean waters?

What is the freezing point of ocean water?

What two factors affect the density of ocean water?

What happens to cold, salty ocean water?

Why do oceans play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change?

Ocean water is salty due to high salinity, making it undrinkable and unusable for other purposes.
Salinity is the amount of salt dissolved in water, mainly originating from rocks containing sodium chloride (common table salt) on land.
Rain and moving water in rivers and streams wash over these rocks, carrying salt into the oceans.
Underwater volcanoes also contribute to the salt concentration in oceans.

Ocean water contains other chemicals like magnesium, sulfate, calcium, and potassium, essential for sustaining life.
Gases dissolved in ocean water include nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Nitrogen from fertilizer runoff can cause excessive growth of ocean plants, leading to oxygen depletion and harm to other ocean creatures.
Oceans act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, making them crucial for studying global climate changes.

Ocean temperatures range from highest at the equator to increasingly colder towards the poles.
Ocean water has a high heat capacity, requiring more energy to change its temperature and taking longer to heat up and release heat.
The freezing point of ocean water is around 28°F, lower than freshwater due to its higher salinity.

Ocean water density depends on its temperature and salinity, with denser water sinking to the bottom and less dense water floating on top.
Cold, salty water is denser than warm, less salty water.
This layered density structure is a unique property of ocean water.