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Temperature
Water is capable of dissolving large amounts of salt. When salt is dissolved, it lowers the temperature at which water freezes. According to UCLA, the freezing point of freshwater is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, while the freezing point of saltwater is 28.58 degrees. When ice forms in frozen saltwater, the salt is squeezed out, forming a much less salty ice structure.
Density
The saltwater in many seas and oceans has a higher density than bodies of freshwater. The saltwater will contain other dissolved substances in addition to the salt that add to the mass of water. The mass per unit of saltwater in places such as the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea and Red Sea has a greater volume than that of pure freshwater.
Salinity
Salinity is the measure of salt and other materials that is dissolved in the water. If the salinity and temperature changes, the water may increase or decrease its density. Because the density relates to the water currents and pressure gradients released in the ocean, scientists must track the salinity and temperature levels in the body of water. According to Texas A&M, salinity is "the total amount of dissolved material in grams in one kilogram of sea water."
Conducting Electricity
Saltwater is also capable of conducting electricity. Once salt dissolves in a body of saltwater, the molecules dissociate with each other and become positive or negative ions. The dissolved ions are responsible for electricity in saltwater. The level of conductivity will increase as the salinity increases. Scientists use the conductivity powers of saltwater to measure its salinity levels.