Action of soap is due
to emulsification and micelle formation. Comment.
Action of soap is due to emulsification and micelle formation. Comment.
The cleansing action of
soap is due to emulsification and micelle formation. Soaps are
basically sodium and potassium salts of long chain fatty acids,
R-COO-Na+. The end of the molecule to which the
sodium is attached is polar in nature, while the alkyl-end is
non-polar. Thus, a soap molecule contains a hydrophilic (polar) and a
hydrophobic (non-polar) part.
When soap is added to
water containing dirt, the soap molecules surround the dirt particles
in such a manner that their hydrophobic parts get attached to the
dirt molecule and the hydrophilic parts point away from the dirt
molecule. This is known as micelle formation. Thus, we can say that
the polar group dissolves in water while the non-polar group
dissolves in the dirt particle. Now, as these micelles are negatively
charged, they do not coalesce and a stable emulsion is formed.
The cleansing action of soap is due to emulsification and micelle formation. Soaps are basically sodium and potassium salts of long chain fatty acids, R-COO-Na+. The end of the molecule to which the sodium is attached is polar in nature, while the alkyl-end is non-polar. Thus, a soap molecule contains a hydrophilic (polar) and a hydrophobic (non-polar) part.
When soap is added to water containing dirt, the soap molecules surround the dirt particles in such a manner that their hydrophobic parts get attached to the dirt molecule and the hydrophilic parts point away from the dirt molecule. This is known as micelle formation. Thus, we can say that the polar group dissolves in water while the non-polar group dissolves in the dirt particle. Now, as these micelles are negatively charged, they do not coalesce and a stable emulsion is formed.
