Why does micelle formation take place when soap is added to water? Will a micelle be formed in other solvents such as ethanol also?
Open in App
Solution
Soap molecules have two ends. One end is hydrophilic and another end is hydrophobic.
When soap is dissolved in water and clothes are put in the soapy solution, hydrophobic end of soap molecules converge in a typical fashion to make a structure; called micelle.
The hydrophilic end is outside the sphere.
Micelle is not formed in other solvent such as ethanol because the alkyl chain of soap becomes soluble in alcohol.