What are detergents chemically? List two merits and two demerits of using detergents for cleansing. State the reason for the suitability of detergents for washing, even in the case of water having calcium and magnesium ions.

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Solution

Detergents are chemically ammonium or sulphonate salts of long chain of carboxylic acids.

Merits:
1. They work in hard water.
2. They are better than soap having stronger cleansing action.

Demerits:
1. They are non-biodegradable.
2. They are harmful to skin.

Detergents are usually alkyl benzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap that does not form an insoluble precipitate with calcium and magnesium ions like soaps making it suitable for washing, even in the case of hard water.

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