Question

Explain the mechanism of the cleaning action of soaps.

Answer 1

Answer:

When soap is added to an oily or greasy part of cloth, the hydrocarbon part of soap dissolves in oil, keeping the head away from the oil. Big molecules of oil and soap break by rubbing into small emulsified oil droplets in water, which are washed away by stream of water.

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Answer 2

Answer:

Explanation

When soap molecules are present in water, the molecules arrange themselves in the form of a cluster in such a manner that their hydrophobic ends are away from the water molecules and their hydrophilic or ionic ends are towards the water molecules. This is known as micelle formations.

• Cleaning action of soaps:

The dirt (oil and grease) present on clothes is organic in nature, and insoluble in water. Hence, it cannot be removed only by washing with water. When soap is dissolved in water, its hydrophobic ends attach themselves to the dirt and remove it from the clothes.

Then, the molecules of soap arrange themselves in micelle formation and trap the dirt at the centre of the cluster. These micelles remain suspended in water like particles in a colloidal solution. The various micelles present in water do not come together to form a precipitate as each micelle repels the others because of ion-ion repulsion. Thus, the dust particles remain trapped in the micelles (which remain suspended), and are easily rinsed away by water. Hence, soap micelles remove the dirt by dissolving it in water.