Salt (disambiguation) facts for kids

Salt is a common word with a few meanings, but it usually refers to the white stuff you put on your food! In science, salt is a type of chemical compound. The salt we eat every day is called table salt, and its chemical name is sodium chloride.

What is Salt?

In chemistry, a salt is a special kind of chemical compound. It forms when an acid and a base react together. These compounds are made of two parts: a positive ion (like a metal) and a negative ion (like a non-metal). They are held together by strong electrical forces.

Sodium Chloride: The Salt We Eat

The most famous salt is sodium chloride. Its chemical formula is NaCl. This means it has one sodium atom and one chlorine atom. Sodium chloride is super important for life. It helps our bodies work properly. It also makes food taste better.

Where Does Salt Come From?

Salt is found all over the Earth. It is in oceans, lakes, and underground.

Ocean Salt

Most of the salt on Earth is in the oceans. Ocean water has about 3.5% salt. This means that for every 100 grams of ocean water, 3.5 grams are salt. This salt comes from rocks and soil that rivers carry to the sea. Over millions of years, the salt built up in the oceans.

Rock Salt

Salt can also be found in solid form underground. This is called rock salt or halite. It forms when ancient seas dried up. The salt was left behind and got buried under layers of rock. These salt deposits can be very large.

How Do We Get Salt?

People have been collecting salt for thousands of years. There are two main ways to get salt:

Evaporation

One way to get salt is by evaporating water. This is often done in sunny, dry places. People create large, shallow pools called salt pans. Ocean water or salty lake water is put into these pans. The sun and wind make the water evaporate. The salt is left behind as crystals. This method is very old and still used today.

Mining

Rock salt is mined from underground. Miners dig tunnels into salt deposits. They use special machines to break up the salt. Then, the salt is brought to the surface. Sometimes, water is pumped into the ground to dissolve the salt. The salty water (called brine) is then pumped out. The water is evaporated to get the pure salt.

Why Do We Use Salt?

Salt has many uses. It is much more than just a food seasoning.

In Food

• Flavor: Salt makes food taste good. It brings out the natural flavors in many dishes.
• Preservation: For a long time, salt was used to keep food from spoiling. It pulls water out of food, which stops germs from growing. This is how foods like salted fish and cured meats are made.
• Baking: Salt helps control the yeast in bread. It also makes dough stronger.

For Your Health

Your body needs a small amount of salt to work well. Sodium and chloride are important for:

• Keeping the right amount of water in your body.
• Helping your nerves send messages.
• Making your muscles work.

However, too much salt can be bad for you. It can lead to health problems. Doctors often suggest eating less salt.

Other Uses

Salt is also used in many other ways:

• De-icing roads: In winter, salt is spread on roads to melt ice and snow.
• Chemical industry: Salt is a basic material for making many chemicals. These include chlorine and sodium hydroxide. These chemicals are used to make plastics, paper, and cleaning products.
• Water softening: Salt can remove hard minerals from water.

See also

• Salt (desambiguación) para niños (In Spanish)