Salinity

Yuck! If you have ever swallowed a mouthful of seawater, you know two things: it tastes terrible, and it's filled with salt. But why is seawater so salty, and how is it possible that so much life lives in it?

In this topic, you will learn about salinity, which is a term scientists use to describe the amount of dissolved substances in seawater. You will also compare the properties of freshwater with those of saltwater, another term for seawater. Finally, you will investigate the ways salinity varies from place to place as well as the causes of these variations.

Essential Questions

• Why does seawater taste salty?
• Is the salinity of seawater the same everywhere?
• How do waves affect salinity?