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Vocabulary Words

  • Specific Gravity: The measure of the density of something compared to the density of water.   A specific gravity of greater than 1 is heavier than water, less than 1 is lighter than water.
  • Salinity:  The saltiness or the amount of salt dissolved in a body of water like lakes, streams and oceans.
  • PPT:  The abbreviation for Parts Per Thousand and is used to tell how much salt is dissolved in water (salinity).   If there is 1 gram of salt in 1,000 grams of water, the salinity is 1 PPT.
  • Conductivity:  The ability of a material to allow electricity to move through it.  Since salt can conduct electricity, higher salinity has higher conductivity.
  • Salt Pans:  A natural depression in the ground, where water gathers and then evaporates, leaving salt behind.

Fun Facts

  • Your blood is only ¼ as salty as the ocean! 
  • The Don Juan Pond in Antarctica is the saltiest body of water in the world.  It has more than 40% salinity and never freezes, even though the water temperature can be -22 degrees F!
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