Arrange the salts found in oceans in descending order with respect to their abundance:

Question

Accepted Answer

Okay, here's the explanation supporting Option 2 as the correct answer for the descending order of salt abundance in oceans:

**Why Option 2 (Sodium chloride, Magnesium chloride, Magnesium sulphate) is Correct:**

The abundance of salts in the ocean follows a general pattern. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is by far the most abundant salt. Magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) is the next most abundant, followed by Magnesium sulphate (MgSO₄). This order reflects the relative concentrations of these ions in seawater. The high solubility and prevalence of sodium and chloride ions contribute to the dominance of sodium chloride. Magnesium is also a significant component of seawater, and it is present in higher concentrations than other cations like potassium or calcium. Therefore, Magnesium chloride is more abundant than Magnesium sulphate.

**Why Other Options are Incorrect:**

*   **Option 1 (Sodium chloride, Potassium sulphate, Magnesium Sulphate):** This is incorrect because Magnesium chloride is more abundant than both Potassium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate in seawater. Potassium and sulphate ions are present, but at lower concentrations than magnesium chloride.

*   **Option 3 (Potassium chloride, Sodium chloride, Calcium sulphate):** This is incorrect because Sodium chloride is the most abundant salt, not Potassium chloride. Also, Calcium sulphate is present in much lower concentrations than both Sodium chloride and Magnesium chloride.

*   **Option 4 (Sodium chloride, Calcium chloride, Magnesium sulphate):** This is incorrect because Magnesium chloride is more abundant than both Calcium chloride and Magnesium sulphate in seawater. Calcium is present in lower concentrations than magnesium.

In summary, Option 2 accurately reflects the descending order of abundance of the listed salts in the ocean: Sodium chloride (most abundant), followed by Magnesium chloride, and then Magnesium sulphate.