Basic Concepts of ChemistryWater soft and flowing. Salt hard and brittle. These two very different substances are intimately involved in life processes where, together, they play a key role in many critical functions. Central to this role is the ability of water to lift the basic salt particles from the solid into the liquid medium as illustrated on this cover. The Dead Sea in Israel, as shown on the front cover, represents a very rare phenomenon where the two can coexist. The