_____ of water on the Earth is salt water

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Multiple Choice

_____ of water on the Earth is salt water

The main idea is how Earth's water is distributed between saltwater and freshwater. About 97% of Earth's water is salt water, contained mainly in the oceans. The remaining roughly 3% is freshwater, most of which is locked up in glaciers and ice caps, with only a small portion available in rivers, lakes, and groundwater. So the fraction that is saltwater is about 97%, making that the correct choice. The 3% option refers to freshwater, not saltwater; the 70% and 50% options don’t describe the share of water that is saltwater (70% relates to surface area covered by oceans, not water fraction).

The main idea is how Earth's water is distributed between saltwater and freshwater. About 97% of Earth's water is salt water, contained mainly in the oceans. The remaining roughly 3% is freshwater, most of which is locked up in glaciers and ice caps, with only a small portion available in rivers, lakes, and groundwater. So the fraction that is saltwater is about 97%, making that the correct choice. The 3% option refers to freshwater, not saltwater; the 70% and 50% options don’t describe the share of water that is saltwater (70% relates to surface area covered by oceans, not water fraction).

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