Final answer:
Crystallization of salt from sea water occurs when the solution becomes supersaturated, resulting in salt's recrystallization and precipitation from the solution as water evaporates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The crystallization of salt from evaporating sea water is not an example of precipitation directly from a gas, nor is it an example of biomineralization. Instead, crystallization of salt from sea water occurs when the solution becomes supersaturated. This happens because as the water evaporates, the salt cannot escape with the vapor and begins to exceed the solution's ability to keep it dissolved. This process is known as precipitation from a solution, making option b, "Is an example of precipitation from a solution," the correct answer.
Salt crystallization can be described in terms of solution equilibrium. A saturated solution has reached its maximum capacity of dissolved solute, and when more solute (salt) is present than can be dissolved, the excess begins to form a solid again in a process known as recrystallization. In the context of sea water, when the water evaporates and reduces the amount of water available to keep the salt dissolved, recrystallization occurs, and salt precipitates.