Question

Detergents are sodium salts of a long chain:

• A. benzene sulphonic acids
• B. alkyl hydrogen sulphate
• C. both $A$ and $B$
• D. none of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

both $A$ and $B$

Detergents consist of alkylbenzenesulfonates or an alkyl hydrogen sulphate a family of compounds that are similar to soaps but more soluble in hard water because the polar sulfonate is less likely than polar carboxyl to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water.