Question

What is the difference between the chemical composition of soaps and detergents? State in brief the action of soaps in removing an oily spot from a short. Why are soaps not considered suitable for washing where water is hard ?

Answer 1

Hint :A soap is a water-soluble chemical formed by reacting sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide with vegetable or animal oil in a process known as saponification (fats). Soaps are long-chain fatty acid potassium or sodium salts, while detergents are alkyl benzene sulfonates.

Complete Step By Step Answer:

SOAPS	DETERGENTS
Natural sources, such as vegetable oils and animal fats, are used to make them.	Synthetic derivatives are used as detergents.
In a hard water environment, they have a proclivity for forming scum.	Scum does not develop as a result of these chemicals.
Soaps degrade totally in the environment.	Non-biodegradable detergents have a branching hydrocarbon chain.
In hard water and saline water, they are ineffective.	In hard water and saline water, they retain their efficacy.
A fatty acid with a long alkyl chain is connected to a ‘-COONa' group.	A lengthy alkyl chain is connected to a $-SO_3Na$ group.
Because soap is biodegradable, it is an environmentally beneficial product.	These substances can produce a thick froth that kills aquatic life.
Soaps such as sodium palmitate and sodium stearate are examples.	Detergents such as deoxycholic acid and sodium lauryl sulphate are examples.

Note :
The critical micelle concentration is the concentration at which micelles begin to form (CMC). The average number of monomers in a micelle is known as the aggregation number. Micelle molecular weight indicates relative micelle size. The cloud point is the temperature at which the detergent solution separates into two phases when it reaches or exceeds the critical micelle concentration.