Question

Explain the cleaning action of soap. Why do soaps not work in hard water?​

Answer 1

Answer:

Usually dirt which is stuck to cloth is oily in nature. When we rub the soap on dirty wet cloth,

1. It splits into its molecules with hydrophillic ionic end and hydrophobic carbon tail.
2. Ionic end moves towards the surface of water and carbon tail moves towards the oily dirt.
3. Many such molecules around the dirt forms micelles.
4. These micelles due to ion - ion repulsion form colloidal solution and can be easily rinsed away.

Calcium and magnesium salts (chlorides, sulphides and bicarbonates) dissolved in water is responsible for hardness of water

Soaps react with calcium and magnesium salts present in hard water to give insoluble substance called scum. So soaps do not work in hard water.

Answer 2

Answer:

> Soap doesn't work properly in hard water (it forms scum with the calcium and magnesium impurities) Hard water contains calcium and magnesium ions. These ions form insoluble magnesium and calcium soaps respectively when potassium or sodium soaps are dissolved in hard water. That is why soaps do not work in water.

Explanation:

I hope it helps!