Why is soap slippery? Is it basic in nature
Soaps are made out of long chained fatty acids, which means that they are a long chain of carbons and hydrogens, with an carboxylic acid functional group at the start of each chain.
Theses fatty acids are what is called surfactants. They have both a hydrophobic (water-repelling, the long carbon chain) and hydrophilic (water-loving, the carboxylic acid group) component. These form micelles, which are groups of these molecules, with the hydrophilic part facing inside and the hydrophobic part facing outside.
When you handle your soap with water, it means that water is in contact with the hydrophobic tail of the molecules. Essentially, it means that you are holding a block of oil, and that is why it is very slippery.
On the other hand, if you handle it without water, it isn't as slippery. Your skin is usually coated with a layer of sebum, which is composed of fatty acids, waxes and triglycerides. As you may know from chemistry, "like attracts like", which results in a less slippery situation.
Yes.Soap is basic in nature
They contain Sodium salts of carboxylic acids. ... Carboxylic acid react with Sodium Hydroxide which is a strong base. The salts thus formed by the reaction between a strong base and a weak acid are basic in nature. That is why soaps are basic in nature and not acidic.
Soaps are made out of long chained fatty acids, which means that they are a long chain of carbons and hydrogens, with an carboxylic acid functional group at the start of each chain.
Theses fatty acids are what is called surfactants. They have both a hydrophobic (water-repelling, the long carbon chain) and hydrophilic (water-loving, the carboxylic acid group) component. These form micelles, which are groups of these molecules, with the hydrophilic part facing inside and the hydrophobic part facing outside.
When you handle your soap with water, it means that water is in contact with the hydrophobic tail of the molecules. Essentially, it means that you are holding a block of oil, and that is why it is very slippery.
On the other hand, if you handle it without water, it isn't as slippery. Your skin is usually coated with a layer of sebum, which is composed of fatty acids, waxes and triglycerides. As you may know from chemistry, "like attracts like", which results in a less slippery situation.
Yes.Soap is basic in nature
They contain Sodium salts of carboxylic acids. ... Carboxylic acid react with Sodium Hydroxide which is a strong base. The salts thus formed by the reaction between a strong base and a weak acid are basic in nature. That is why soaps are basic in nature and not acidic.
