How does soap work chemistry for kids?
Soaps and detergents are surfactants i.e they reduce the surface tension of water, allowing it to interact with oil and grease more easily. Soap is made by a process called saponification. This is where a triglyceride chemically joins forces with a strong alkali to fight grime.
What is detergent chemistry?
A detergent is a surfactant or mixture of surfactants that has cleaning properties in dilute solution with water. A detergent is similar to soap, but with a general structure R-SO4-, Na+, where R is a long-chain alkyl group.
What is the chemical reaction in washing hands?
When the fat and the alkaline ingredient are mixed together with the help of some water, there is a chemical reaction, called saponification. Soap is the result!
How does soap work in chemistry?
The soap molecule has two different ends, one that is hydrophilic (polar head) that binds with water and the other that is hydrophobic (non-polar hydrocarbon tail) that binds with grease and oil. Since soap molecules have both properties of non-polar and polar molecules soap can act as an emulsifier.
How do you separate soap and water?
Spoon the melt into soap molds. You can separate water from soap by adding the correct amount of salt (NaCl). Unless the soap is emulsified, adding calcium (Ca+) ions will precipitate the soap. You can then separate the soap from the water by filtration.
What happens when you mix soap and water?
Soap breaks up the oil into smaller drops, which can mix with the water. It works because soap is made up of molecules with two very different ends. One end of soap molecules love water – they are hydrophilic. The other end of soap molecues hate water – they are hydrophobic.
How is detergent made chemistry?
A number of fats and oils are heated and mixed with a liquid alkali to produce soap and water (neat soap) plus glycerine. Fats and oils are hydrolyzed with a high-pressure steam to get crude fatty acids and glycerine. The fatty acids are purified by distillation and neutralized with an alkali to produce soap.
What is the difference between soap and detergent chemistry?
The Chemistry Soaps are made from natural ingredients, such as plant oils (coconut, vegetable, palm, pine) or acids derived from animal fat. Detergents, on the other hand, are synthetic, man-made derivatives.
What is the chemical reaction between soap and water?
Monolayer: When soap is added to water, the ionic-salt end of the molecule is attracted to water and dissolved in it. The non-polar hydrocarbon end of the soap molecule is repelled by water. A drop or two of soap in water forms a monolayer on the water surface as shown in the graphics on the left.
What is the chemical name of soap?
Soaps are denoted by the general formula RCOO-Na+, where R is any long chain alkyl group consisting 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Some common examples of fatty acids that are used in soaps are stearic acid having chemical formula C17H35COOH, palmitic acid having chemical formula C15H31COOH.
Why does soap dissolve in water?
Soaps are unique compounds because soap molecules contain a small polar end (known as the polar head) and a long non-polar tail: Because of the two different parts of the molecule, a soap molecule is soluble in water and at the same time can dissolve fats.