Question

Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is which type of detergent?
(A) Cationic
(B) Anionic
(C) Biosoft
(D) Non-ionic

Answer 1

Hint: We need to know the proper meaning of detergents which is a mixture that has cleaning properties. Further we discuss the sub categories and then we will decide in which category will it fit.

Complete step by step solution:
Firstly as here in the question we need to identify the type of detergent so for that we need to know what the word detergent stands for. The detergent word stands for a mixture that has cleaning properties. Further talking about this we come to know that the detergents are more soluble with the hard water than soap . here we need to discuss the cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride so it is basically the detergent but here we need to answer which type of detergent it is. We should know here that the detergent can be further classified into subcategories as some are also mentioned in the options. We will here discuss the cationic detergents which are the quaternary ammonium salts of amines with other anions. They are called so because they have cations at their soluble ends.then the anionic detergents are those which have the anions at their soluble ends. Then further we will discuss the biosoft ones so they are as the name suggests are environment friendly and are easily biodegradable in nature. Lastly comes the non ionic detergents so they are basically the ones that contain molecules which are further not charged.
From this discussion we come to know that the cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is cationic detergent as it has the positively charged soluble end.
Hence, option A is correct.

Note:
It is interesting to note here that the detergents are soluble in hard water unlike soaps because the sulphonates if detergents do not bind calcium and other ions in hard water as easily as carboxylate in soap does.