Placing a cell with 98% water in its cytoplasm into a 2% salt solution exposes it to a hypertonic environment, causing it to lose water and potentially shrivel up as it seeks osmotic balance.
When a cell that contains 98% water in its cytoplasm is placed in a 2% salt solution, the external environment is hypertonic relative to the cytoplasm. Due to the higher concentration of dissolved solutes outside the cell, water will move out of the cell to balance the concentration gradient, resulting in cell shrinkage.
If the cell were a plant cell, its cell wall might prevent it from bursting, but the plant cell would still lose water and undergo plasmolysis. Animal cells, however, lacking a protective cell wall, are likely to shrivel up as they lose water. Osmotic balance is crucial for cells to maintain their normal shape and function; in this case, it is hampered by the disparity in solute concentration.