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There is more evidence to prove that saltness [of the sea]…

“There is more evidence to prove that saltness [of the sea] is due to the admixture of some substance, besides that which we have adduced. Make a vessel of wax and put it in the sea, fastening its mouth in such a way as to prevent any water getting in. Then the water that percolates through the wax…” quote by Aristotle
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“There is more evidence to prove that saltness [of the sea] is due to the admixture of some substance, besides that which we have adduced. Make a vessel of wax and put it in the sea, fastening its mouth in such a way as to prevent any water getting in. Then the water that percolates through the wax sides of the vessel is sweet, the earthy stuff, the admixture of which makes the water salt, being separated off as it were by a filter.”

Aristotle

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Aristotle proposes a filtration experiment to explain sea salt, illustrating early scientific reasoning about natural phenomena.

In simple terms: He suggests a wax filter to separate salt from seawater.

Key Takeaway

Use simple experiments to test hypotheses.

Themes

science observation explanation

Mood

inquisitive historical

Type

educational scientific

When to use this quote

  • laboratory demonstration
  • educational curricula
  • science communication
  • historical analysis

Key Concepts

natural philosophy empiricism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does this experiment reflect early scientific method?
  • What are its limitations?
A Different Perspective

Modern chemistry shows salt is dissolved, not filtered, limiting the model.

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