Why does salt dehydrate things?

Question

Why does salt dehydrate things?

Answer 1

A highly saline environment creates a concentration gradient in which water is "pulled" out.  Think of salt-curing a ham...kind of silly, but it's the same logic.  Soaking the ham in a concentrated salt-water solution will draw out any excess water in the meat.  Water will flow from areas of high water concentration (in the ham) to an area of low water concentration (in the salt-water solution).  The key here is the concentration gradient.  Water always flows from high concentration to low concentration.

Answer 2

second law of thermodynamics.  Solvent molecules will combine into a solution until the system is maximized.

Answer 3

Salt removes water from things by osmosis.

Answer 4

To expand on the concept of osmosis.  Salt doesn't pull water out, technically.  Salt is water soluble.  So water will bind to it.  As water molecules move around randomly, they will bind to salt molecules.  This causes a NET movement of water molecules toward areas of high salt concentration.