What is hard water and what is soft water? Why are they called so? Why does the amount of lather produced by soaps differ in both of them?
What is hard water and what is soft water? Why are they called so? Why does the amount of lather produced by soaps differ in both of them?
Hard water is water which contains minerals. It contains specially bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates of calcium and magnesium. It is called hard water because it leaves behind deposits which damage plumbing,coolers and so on.
Soft water is water which contains little or no salts of calcium and magnesium. If water contains less than 85.5 parts per million of calcium, it is soft water.
Hard water does not form lather. As soap is sodium or potassium salt of higher fatty acids, calcium and magnesium ions present in water react with anions of fatty acid to form a white precipitate. Thus, they don't form lather.
Hard water is water which contains minerals. It contains specially bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates of calcium and magnesium. It is called hard water because it leaves behind deposits which damage plumbing,coolers and so on.
Soft water is water which contains little or no salts of calcium and magnesium. If water contains less than 85.5 parts per million of calcium, it is soft water.
Hard water does not form lather. As soap is sodium or potassium salt of higher fatty acids, calcium and magnesium ions present in water react with anions of fatty acid to form a white precipitate. Thus, they don't form lather.
