wiz-icon
MyQuestionIcon
MyQuestionIcon
1
You visited us 1 times! Enjoying our articles? Unlock Full Access!
Question

People use a variety to methods to wash clothes. Usually after adding the soap, they 'beat' the clothes on a stone, or beat it with a paddle, scrub with a brush or the mixture is agitated in a washing machine. Why is agitation necessary to get clean clothes ?

Open in App
Solution

A soap molecule has two parts:-

i) Hydrophobic part, i.e., the hydrocarbon tail which is insoluble in water and repelled by water.

ii) Hydrophilic part, i.e., negatively charged end which is soluble in water.

With the help of these parts, soap can attach dirt and grease particles and form spherical clusters known as micelle. Due to ion-ion repulsion, micelles remain suspended as a colloid in the water. In order to remove these micelles containing dirt, it is necessary to scrub or agitate the clothes.


flag
Suggest Corrections
thumbs-up
8
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
similar_icon
Related Videos
thumbnail
lock
Water - A Universal Solvent
CHEMISTRY
Watch in App
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
CrossIcon