Salt is hydrophile, which means it attracts water.
To much salt (outside cell) now attracts the water in the cell to the outside -> less water in cell, cell dehydrated.
To little salt (outside cell): salt in cell attracts water from the outside, but now salt levels in the cell are diluted (these are actually needed in your cell to function).
Just the right amount of salt: cells can now directly use the water without diluting the salts they contain and continue working as normal
because salt and water happen to be composed in such a way that they fit together nicely, and salt attracts the water in a similar way to a magnet. The positive and negative charges of the salt ions (Sodium+, Chloride–) fit into and attract the opposite charges of the water ions (Hydrogen–, Oxygen+).
I felt bad for the interviewer at first, until the guy really got into his explanation. He wasn’t being a dick, he was just saying “why” is a really deep question.
Why
Salt is hydrophile, which means it attracts water.
Real worried we’re going to enter a Richard Feynman level why spiral
You only ever need 3 whys
Why?
Why?
because salt and water happen to be composed in such a way that they fit together nicely, and salt attracts the water in a similar way to a magnet. The positive and negative charges of the salt ions (Sodium+, Chloride–) fit into and attract the opposite charges of the water ions (Hydrogen–, Oxygen+).
I felt bad for the interviewer at first, until the guy really got into his explanation. He wasn’t being a dick, he was just saying “why” is a really deep question.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis
Osmosis Jones, my man.
Evolution and shit