Question

As the major constituent in seawater, the measure of ___ ions present is typically used to determine the concentration of other conservative elements in seawater.

A) Calcium
B) Sodium
C) Chloride
D) Magnesium

Answer 1

The chloride option (c) ion (Cl-) is the major constituent in seawater used to determine the concentration of other conservative elements, with sodium (Na+) closely associated due to their prevalence as sodium chloride (NaCl).

Step-by-step explanation:

The major constituent in seawater used to determine the concentration of other conservative elements is the chloride ion (Cl-). Seawater chemistry is characterized by its high salinity, which primarily comes from dissolved salt, most notably sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt.

With a typical seawater composition of 35 parts per thousand salinity, chloride and sodium ions have a 1:1 ratio, making them central to oceanic chemical studies. In addition to sodium and chloride, other major ions such as magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), and potassium (K+) are present in various concentrations and play significant roles in biological and environmental processes.