Question

What condition of salinity makes it possible to determine the total salinity of ocean water by measuring concentration of only one constituent, the chloride ion?

Seawater has a constancy of composition, so the concentration of several major constituents can be measured to determine the total salinity of a given water sample. The constituents that occur in the greatest abundance and are the easiest to measure accurately are the sodium and chloride ions.

Seawater has a constancy of composition, so the concentration of a single major constituent cannot be measured to determine the total salinity of a given water sample. Rather, salinity must be measured in each location individually.

Seawater has a constancy of composition in terms of the major constituents, so the concentration of a single major constituent can be measured to determine the total salinity of a given water sample. The constituent that occurs in the greatest abundance and is the easiest to measure accurately is the chloride ion.

Seawater has a constancy of composition, so the concentration of a single major constituent can be measured to determine the total salinity of a given water sample. The constituent that occurs in the greatest abundance and is the easiest to measure accurately is the sodium ion.

Seawater has a constancy of composition, so the concentration of a single major constituent can be measured to determine the total salinity of a given water sample. The constituent that occurs in the greatest abundance and is the easiest to measure accurately is the iodine ion.

Answer 1

The total salinity of ocean water can be determined by measuring the concentration of chloride ions alone, due to the constancy of composition of seawater where the ratios of major constituents are consistent.

Step-by-step explanation:

The condition of salinity that makes it possible to determine the total salinity of ocean water by measuring the concentration of only one constituent, such as the chloride ion, is based on the constancy of composition of seawater.

This principle holds that the ratios of the major dissolved constituents in seawater are nearly constant, and thus the measurement of a single major constituent can be used to estimate the total salinity.

Witness the abundance and ease of measurement, the chloride ion is commonly used for this purpose as it occurs in the greatest abundance within the array of seawater constituents.

Seawater does indeed have a constancy of composition, particularly in terms of the major constituents like sodium and chloride ions. This standard ratio allows for a reliable estimation of total salinity based on the concentration of chloride ions alone. The solubility and saturation properties of sodium chloride in water also play a role in determining the concentration of these ions in the solution.

For instance, heating a solution can increase its solubility and thus the total amount of salt that remains dissolved at a given temperature. Such properties are particularly noteworthy as they underline the interactions between solvent and solute in a saline environment.