by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

If your tears have ever run down your cheek and ended up on your lips, then you've probably noticed they're pretty salty!! Who put all of that salt into your tears?!

Basically, the reason why tears are salty is because your body has a lot of salt in it! Because your body has a lot of salt in it, the things that come out of your body, like tears or sweat, tend to be a little bit salty too. But don't worry, it's normal for your body to have a certain amount of salt in it -- it's even something that you need to have; having the right amount of salt helps your body to also have the right amount of water, so you don't accidentally shrivel up like a prune!



Salt water

Salt and water have a really cool relationship to each other! Try out this experiment to see for yourself!

Get a cup of water, and add about half a teaspoon of salt to it. Stir is up really well, and watch the way the salt “disappears.”

Then, leave the cup of water on a sunny windowsill for at least a day (maybe two) until all of the water is evaporated by the sun.

What do you find in the bottom of the cup when all of the water is gone?? What do you think has happened?!