Question

What are soft and hard soaps?

Answer 1

Hint : Soap is a fatty acid salt that is used in a wide range of washing and lubricating materials. Soaps are surfactants that are commonly used in the home for washing, bathing, and other forms of housekeeping.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
The type of alkali metal that is used defines the types of soap that is produced. Sodium soaps are firm and made from sodium hydroxide, while potassium soaps are smoother and mostly liquid and made from potassium hydroxide.
Soft soap is a soap that is liquid or readily soluble, usually produced by saponification with potassium rather than sodium hydroxide. Soft soap is a slimy, jellylike substance made from potash or lye from wood ashes that has a grey or brownish yellow colour and a slimy, jellylike consistency. It is alkaline and also includes glycerin, and it's used for scouring wood, cleaning silk, and dyeing.
Hard soap, also known as curd soap, is a form of soap. Common salt (sodium chloride) is applied to the liquid soap mass during the manufacturing process. As a consequence, the soap mass separates from the glycerin, yielding a harder soap. Sodium hydroxide can be used to make it. It is used as a detergent and as a suppository or soapsuds enema for constipation; it is even used as a pill filler.

Note :
Soaps are manufactured of natural ingredients including plant oils (coconut, vegetable, palm, and pine) and animal fat acids. Synthetic, man-made derivatives, on the other hand, are detergents.
Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of carboxylic acids with long chains. Sulphonate or ammonium salts of long chain carboxylic acids are often used as detergents.