Question

Which one is more effective for washing clothes soap or detergents give a reason for your answer?

Answer 1

Detergent, because detergents contain ammonium or sulphonate salts of long-chain carboxylic acids, they are better than soaps. With calcium and magnesium present in hard water, the charged ends of these will not precipitate. Soaps, on the other hand, will precipitate with the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water.

Detergents are preferred over soap due to the following reasons:

• Detergents act more effectively on hard water as compared to soaps.
• The sulfonate group does not attach itself to the ions present in hard water. They do not form insoluble precipitates with the dissolved calcium and magnesium ions in hard water.
• Detergents have strong cleansing properties.
• The formation of more lather is observed in hard water than in soft water in the case of detergents.
• They do not lose their effectiveness in hard water and saline water.
• These compounds do not form scum.