Question

The main difference between bathing and washing soap is:
a.) Bathing soaps are potassium salts of fatty acids while washing soaps are sodium salts of fatty acids.
b.) Bathing soaps are sodium salts of fatty acids while washing soaps are potassium salts of fatty acids.
c.) Bathing soaps are cationic in nature while washing soaps are anionic.
d.) Bathing soaps are calcium salts of fatty acids while washing soaps are magnesium salts of fatty acids.

Answer 1

Hint: Bathing soap is precisely said to be potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. Whereas on the other hand washing soaps also known as detergents are considered to be sodium salts of long chain fatty acids. Consider this as the key difference.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Bathing soaps and washing soaps are not the same thing though both are considered to be surfactants, or surface active agents, which means that a washing compound that mixes with grease and water.

The differences between both are given in the table below -

Bathing Soaps	Washing Soaps
Bathing soap are also known as SOAPS	Washing soaps are also known as DETERGENTS
Soaps are potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. The anionic group present in a soap is -COO.	Detergents are sodium salts of long chain hydrocarbons (fatty acids). The anionic group present in detergent is $--OS{O}_3$ or - $S{O}_3$.
They are obtained from vegetable oils and animal fats that means they can be considered to be natural.	They are obtained from coal tar and petroleum and hence are synthetic or man-made.
They are completely biodegradable and hence safer for the environment.	They are non biodegradable and hence prove to be harmful for the environment.
They do not form lather readily in hard water.	They form lather readily in hard water.
They demonstrate weak cleansing action.In acidic water Soaps cannot be used.	They demonstrate strong cleansing action. In acidic water detergents can be used efficiently.

Soaps are usually soft and are also free from unused alkali. Whereas detergents are usually hard and also contain some residual alkali.

Therefore the correct option for this question is option (A) that is “Bathing soaps are potassium salts of fatty acids while washing soaps are sodium salts of fatty acids.”

Note – Soaps are made of materials found in nature that means they are natural by nature. Whereas on the other hand detergents are synthetic or artificial or man-made (although some of the ingredients are natural). Detergents/washing soaps were initially developed during World War II when the oils required to produce soap were scarce.