How much is 5 grams of salt?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “How much is 5 grams of salt?”, discuss answers to other related questions like how many atoms in a grain of salt, and how long does salt last.
How much is 5 grams of salt?
5 grams of salt is equivalent to 1 teaspoon and is known to contain 2000 mg of Sodium (Na). On average, the daily sodium intake of a person should be less than 2300 mg per day. So, If a recipe calls for one teaspoon of salt and serves 4 people, you are getting ¼ of a teaspoon of salt from it or around 500mg sodium per serving.
How many atoms in a grain of salt?
It is quite difficult to tell the atoms in a grain of salt as there is no exact measure of how big a ‘grain of salt’ is. So, the answer will be only correct within an order of magnitude (a factor of 10)!
The first step is to estimate how large a grain of salt is? So let’s assume that salt grains are 0.3 millimeters long. The density of NaCl is about 2.165 grams per centimeter cube. With the cube assumption, a grain of salt is about 5.85×10^-5 grams. The next thing we need is the weight of a ‘salt atom’. By heading towards the average values, the atomic mass of Na is 23 g/mol, and the atomic mass of Cl is 35.5 g/mol. So, the average ‘atomic weight of salt’ is 29.25 g/mol. So a grain of salt contains about:
5.85×10-5 gr/ (29.25 gr / 6.02×10^23) = 1.2×10^18 atoms, half of which are sodium atoms and the other half is chlorine atoms, of course.
How much sodium is present in salt?
Salt is chemically composed of two ions, Sodium and Chloride. But you cannot just halve the weight of salt to find your sodium intake. Sodium is very essential for the health and growth of a person. But if you eat way too much sodium, there can be very serious problems related to your health. Therefore, it is very important to know that how much sodium do you intake with salt. For this, you can have a quick review of the table given below:
| Salt in grams | Sodium in mg | Equivalent to | Nutrition cut-offs |
| 1 gram | 400 mg | Good pinch of salt | |
| 2.3 grams | 920 mg | ⅓ of a teaspoon salt | Lower limit of the RDI |
| 4 grams | 1600 mg | ¾ of a teaspoon salt | |
| 5 grams | 2000 mg | 1 teaspoon of salt | Maximum intake per day |
| 6 grams | 2400 mg | 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt | Upper limit of the RDI |
| 10 grams | 4000 mg | 2 teaspoons of salt | |
| 12 grams | 4800 mg | 2 ½ teaspoon of salt | Average intake upper end |
*RDI = Recommended Daily Intake
Other FAQs about Salt which you may be interested in.
How many atoms in a grain of salt?
How to use Epsom salt in the shower?
How long does salt last?
Salt, chemically defined as Sodium Chloride, can last indefinitely unless it has additives in it. Salt is used in preservation by depriving the food product of its moisture (Microbes need moisture for growth).
But the commercially packaged salt is rarely pure. Unrefined or unprocessed sea salt has traces of algal products (WIKI:S), iodized salt or table salt contains iodine (WIKI: IS), and the pin Himalayan salt’s color is due to mineral impurities (WIKI: HS). These additives (iodine and algae) have a limited shelf life.
Despite the limited shelf-life of these additives, they do not spoil the salt. However, the salt loses its strength and nutrients if it is way past-by its best-by date.
The iodized salt that is long past its date loses iodine content. If you are using salt for iodine, such salt is of no use.
How to store salt?
For storing salt, treat it like other spices like chili powder and pepper. The rule of thumb is to store any type of salt in a cool and dry place in a well-sealed container to protect it from unwanted flavors. Keep the salt in a cabinet to protect it from picking up unwanted odors.
An unopened salt package can be stored in the pantry. An opened package is best kept in the kitchen. It is recommended to transfer some of the salt into a resealable salt container or shaker and store the rest of the salt separately.
Iodized salt must be stored away from heat or else it will lose all of its iodine content gradually. Using an air-tight container for keeping salt is important to prevent clumping which results due to the hygroscopic nature of the salt.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “How much is 5 grams of salt?”, discussed answers to other related questions like how many atoms in a grain of salt, and how long does salt last.
References:
- https://foodwatch.com.au/blog/measures-and-conversions/item/how-to-convert-sodium-to-salt-and-salt-to-sodium.html
- https://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae342.cfm
- https://www.doesitgobad.com/does-salt-go-bad/#refs
