Question

What is the difference between soap and a synthetic detergent?

Answer 1

Hint: 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. While soap is limited in its applications, detergents can be formulated to include other ingredients for all sorts of cleaning purposes. Perhaps the most common and versatile of these ingredients are surfactants (surface active agents).


Complete step by step solution:

Soap

Synthetic Detergent

1.  Soaps are biodegradable and do not create pollution in our rivers and streams. 2.  Soap is made from fat and alkali by specification method. 3. They are not effective in hard water and saline water. 4. They have a tendency to form sum in a hard water environment. 5. Soaps are the sodium salts of carboxylic acids in long chains. 6. Examples of soaps: sodium palmitate and sodium stearate.

1.  detergents are biodegradable and create pollution in our rivers and streams. 2. Detergents are carbonic compounds which are not alkaline.3. They do not lose their effectiveness in hard water and saline water.4. They do not tend to form scum in a hard water environment.5. Sodium salts of long-chain benzene Sulfonic acids are detergents.6. Examples of detergents: deoxycholic acid and sodium lauryl sulphate.

Note: Make sure to remember that soaps are special classes of detergent that are made by adding a strong base of animal or plant fat, but they are still detergent.