Question

What are the physical properties of salts.

Answer 1

Salt is the common name of the chemical compound named as sodium chloride. It is the most important chemical compound for the human body. Salt makes our food safe and pat able. We get salt form the sea. In our body, blood has the similar chemical balance of sodium, potassium, calcium. The chemical formula of the salt is NaCl. Here we discuss about the physical properties of salt.




The physical properties of the salt determine how the salt is produced and used. Salt is a crystalline solid and found in the cubic form along with the seawater as the salty lake water evaporates due to heat energy of sun. It is isomeric in nature. The structure of salt is orthorhombic and white in color. The refractive index of salt is about 1.542. The specific gravity or the relative density of salt is 2.165. The melting point of pure salt is 800.8°C. The boiling point of salt is 1465°C. The critical humidity of salt at 20°C is 75.3%. It dissolves in water. The size of the salt crystal varies.




Salt is found in oceans. Ocean water contains 2.7% salt by weight on an average. The evaporation of the ancient oceans has left vast deposits of the solid salt on huge areas of the world. The deposits are in the form of bedded sedimentary layers or the domes of salt.