Soap Flashcards
1
Q
What are soaps?
A
The salts made from the alkaline hydrolysis of fats and oils.
2
Q
How many ester links do fats contain?
A
3
3
Q
What can be done to the ester links in a fat?
A
They can be hydrolysed with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide which results in the production glycerol and a soap.
4
Q
How do soaps clean?
A
The hydrophobic tail dissolves in the grease. When scrubbed or mixed the grease is broken up into droplets and held in suspension by the repulsion of the negatively charged ionic heads.
5
Q
What are the two disadvantages of soap?
A
They are insoluble and they produce a scum.
6
Q
What are detergents?
A
They are very similar to soaps with a hydrophobic tail and hydrophilic head but are more useful in areas where hard water is present.
