Section C: Give a short answer to the question given below.
Explain the cleansing action of soaps.
Explain the cleansing action of soaps.
A soap molecule has one end with a short head carboxylate group (–COONa) and one end with a long tail made of the hydrocarbon chain. The polar end is in nature, and it is drawn to water. The non-polar end is in nature, and it is attracted to dirt or oil on the cloth but not to water.
As a result, the of the soap molecule traps the dirt while the makes the entire molecule water-soluble.
When soap or detergent is in water, the molecules form clusters known as 'micelles'. Their bind to the oil and dirt. As a result, the dirt is surrounded by the non-polar end of the soap molecules. The micelles are water-soluble because of the end of the soap molecules. As a result, the soap washes away the dirt.