Sea Water Properties
Reference data and engineering information about sea water properties for miscellaneous applications.
Overview
Engineering reference data for Sea Water Properties in miscellaneous.
Key Formulas
Unit Conversion
Multiply by conversion factor.
Linear Interpolation
Estimate between two known points.
Percentage
Part as fraction of whole.
Variables
| Symbol | Description | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Input value | — | |
| Output value | — | |
| Conversion factor | — |
Seawater Properties Table
The following table presents key physical properties of seawater at standard salinity (S = 35‰ = 35,000 mg/L) at atmospheric pressure. Properties include saturation pressure, density, specific heat, dynamic viscosity, and electrical conductivity across a range of temperatures.
Temperature(°C) | Saturation Pressure(bar) | Density (ρ)(kg/m³) | Specific Heat (cₚ)(kJ/(kg·K)) | Dynamic Viscosity (µ)(Pa·s) | Electrical Conductivity(S/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.00599 | 1028 | 4 | 0.00189 | 0.029048 |
| 1 | 0.00644 | 1028 | 4 | 0.00183 | — |
| 2 | 0.00692 | 1028 | 4 | 0.00177 | — |
| 3 | 0.00743 | 1028 | 4 | 0.00172 | — |
| 4 | 0.00797 | 1028 | 4.001 | 0.00167 | — |
| 5 | 0.00855 | 1028 | 4.001 | 0.00161 | 0.033468 |
| 6 | 0.00916 | 1028 | 4.001 | 0.00157 | — |
| 7 | 0.00982 | 1027 | 4.002 | 0.00153 | — |
| 8 | 0.01051 | 1027 | 4.002 | 0.00149 | — |
| 9 | 0.01125 | 1027 | 4.002 | 0.00145 | — |
| 10 | 0.01203 | 1027 | 4.003 | 0.00141 | 0.038103 |
| 11 | 0.01286 | 1027 | 4.003 | 0.00139 | — |
| 12 | 0.01374 | 1027 | 4.003 | 0.00133 | — |
| 13 | 0.01467 | 1026 | 4.004 | 0.00129 | — |
| 14 | 0.01566 | 1026 | 4.004 | 0.00126 | — |
| 15 | 0.01671 | 1026 | 4.005 | 0.00122 | 0.042933 |
| 16 | 0.01781 | 1026 | 4.005 | 0.0012 | — |
| 17 | 0.01898 | 1026 | 4.006 | 0.00117 | — |
| 18 | 0.02022 | 1025 | 4.006 | 0.00114 | — |
| 19 | 0.02153 | 1025 | 4.007 | 0.00111 | — |
| 20 | 0.02291 | 1025 | 4.007 | 0.00109 | 0.047934 |
| 21 | 0.02437 | 1025 | 4.007 | 0.00105 | — |
| 22 | 0.02591 | 1024 | 4.008 | 0.00103 | — |
| 23 | 0.02753 | 1024 | 4.008 | 0.00101 | — |
| 24 | 0.02924 | 1024 | 4.009 | 0.00098 | — |
| 25 | 0.03104 | 1023 | 4.009 | 0.00097 | 0.053088 |
| 26 | 0.03294 | 1023 | 4.009 | 0.00094 | — |
| 27 | 0.03494 | 1023 | 4.01 | 0.00092 | — |
| 28 | 0.03705 | 1022 | 4.01 | 0.0009 | — |
| 29 | 0.03926 | 1022 | 4.011 | 0.00088 | — |
| 30 | 0.04159 | 1022 | 4.011 | 0.00087 | 0.058373 |
| 35 | — | 1020 | — | — | — |
Source: engineeringtoolbox.com
Salinity and Density
Salinity is typically expressed in parts per thousand (‰) or milligrams per liter:
Seawater is denser than freshwater due to dissolved salts. At S = 35‰, seawater density ranges from approximately 1028 kg/m³ at 0°C to 1020 kg/m³ at 35°C—a decrease of about 0.8% across this temperature range. The maximum density of seawater occurs near 4°C, similar to freshwater, though the exact value shifts with salinity.
Key Property Trends
| Property | Effect of Increasing Temperature |
|---|---|
| Saturation Pressure | Increases (exponentially) |
| Density | Decreases |
| Specific Heat | Increases slightly |
| Dynamic Viscosity | Decreases significantly |
| Electrical Conductivity | Increases |
Dynamic viscosity drops by approximately 54% from 0°C to 30°C, making temperature a critical factor in flow calculations involving seawater. Electrical conductivity nearly doubles over the same range, which has implications for corrosion assessments and cathodic protection design.