Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #278: Main components of seawater

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Aside from water, what is the highest concentration component of seawater?

Don't look it up!

Guess if you need to!

Possible answers:

1. Sodium
2. Chloride
3. Magnesium
4. Sulfate

Good luck!


Previous question of the day:

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #277: What am I?

There are all sorts of chemicals in reef aquaria. With the advent of ICP testing, there's a big emphasis by many on inorganic compounds, but that's only a fraction of the world of chemistry. There are actually far more organic chemicals than inorganic ones. FYI, organic chemicals contain both...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[KStatefan]

My guess would be Chloride

 

[ReefGeezer]

I'm going with the not quite so obvious and say Sodium. Complete guess though. Thanks Randy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

More answers or guesses?

 

[Jeffcb]

Sodium

 

[CNDReef]

Sodium and I also think I know the percentage as well lol

 

[Reef and Dive]

Chloride

 

[X-37B]

Cl

 

[BostonReefer300]

Aside from water, what is the highest concentration component of seawater?

Don't look it up!

Guess if you need to!

Possible answers:

1. Sodium
2. Chloride
3. Magnesium
4. Sulfate

Good luck!


Previous question of the day:

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #277: What am I?

There are all sorts of chemicals in reef aquaria. With the advent of ICP testing, there's a big emphasis by many on inorganic compounds, but that's only a fraction of the world of chemistry. There are actually far more organic chemicals than inorganic ones. FYI, organic chemicals contain both...

www.reef2reef.com

I took a break from R2R for a while...just got too busy. But what happened to the reef chemistry Dad joke thread? That was important to my self-esteem because it made me realize there were bigger geeks than me out there!

 

[Dennis Cartier]

It is definitely NaCl, but which part of it .... I will go with Cl - chloride.

Dennis

 

[Hallowhead]

I feel like the common answer is sodium, but I bet it's Chloride... On second thought, scratch all that I am going Magnesium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

lol

Nice, guys.

And the answer is...


Aside from water, what is the highest concentration component of seawater?

1. Sodium
2. Chloride
3. Magnesium
4. Sulfate

Chloride edges out sodium, both by weight and by numbers of ions. Those two beat out the others by a wide maring.


This has more:

What is Seawater? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Figure 3. Relative concentration of ions in seawater by weight.

Figure 4. Relative concentration of ions in seawater by number.

 

[BostonReefer300]

Randy's Dad Joke thread was a lot more entertaining

 

[gbroadbridge]

Aside from water, what is the highest concentration component of seawater?

Don't look it up!

Guess if you need to!

Possible answers:

1. Sodium
2. Chloride
3. Magnesium
4. Sulfate

Good luck!


Previous question of the day:

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #277: What am I?

There are all sorts of chemicals in reef aquaria. With the advent of ICP testing, there's a big emphasis by many on inorganic compounds, but that's only a fraction of the world of chemistry. There are actually far more organic chemicals than inorganic ones. FYI, organic chemicals contain both...

www.reef2reef.com

More!

 

[killer2001]

Haha, and to think when I was younger I thought seawater was simply H2O + Na only!

 

[JGT]

What about alkalinity? That’s gotta be in there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What about alkalinity? That’s gotta be in there.

Sorry, there are 6 or 7 ions ahead of it in concentration, depending on how you define it, adding calcium and potassium to the list in the question above . Bromide is higher in mass than inorganic carbon (bicarbonate and carbonate) but lower in number of ions.

 

[JGT]

Sorry, there are 6 or 7 ions ahead of it in concentration, depending on how you define it, adding calcium and potassium to the list in the question above . Bromide is higher in mass than inorganic carbon (bicarbonate and carbonate) but lower in number of ions.

That was my attempt at chem humor. Guess I'll stick to my day job.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That was my attempt at chem humor. Guess I'll stick to my day job.

Lol. Ok