Which methods can be used to obtain fresh water from seawater?

Answer 1

The process of converting salt water to fresh water is called desalination and there is a lot of information on the subject.

Mother nature turns salt water into fresh water everyday by evaporation of water from the oceans. Clouds, with water vapor, water droplets and ice crystals form from evaporation. Then, it rains or snows nearly pure water/ice.

When humans artificially create pure water, the water is typically heated to drive the pure water off as water vapor and leave the salts behind. In chemistry, heating a liquid to vaporize it so that it condenses in a purer form is a process is called "distillation".

Another process, more specifically for water, is reverse osmosis filtration through a series of differentially permeable membranes allowing pure water to pass while trapping salts and other impurities. When any process is used to remove salts from seawater, the process is called desalination.

Answer 2

Reverse osmosis is the best way to obtain fresh water from sea water. However, in nature, evaporation of water from the surface of ocean forms clouds. On condensation, these clouds rain to provide fresh potable water. We can also get fresh water from sea water by distillation method.

Answer 3

Reverse osmosis is the best way to obtain fresh water from sea water. However, in nature, evaporation of water from the surface of ocean forms clouds. On condensation, these clouds rain to provide fresh potable water. We can also get fresh water from sea water by distillation method.