Soaps consist of compounds such as sodium stearate, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 16 COO - Na

Question:

Soaps consist of compounds such as sodium stearate, CH3(CH2)16COO-Na+ , that have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts. Consider the hydrocarbon part of sodium stearate to be the “tail” and the charged part to be the “head.”
(a) Which part of sodium stearate, head or tail, is more likely to be solvated by water?
(b) Grease is a complex mixture of (mostly) hydrophobic compounds. Which part of sodium stearate, head or tail, is most likely to bind to grease?
(c) If you have large deposits of grease that you want to wash away with water, you can see that adding sodium stearate will help you produce an emulsion. What intermolecular interactions are responsible for this?

Fantastic news! We've Found the answer you've been seeking!

Step by Step Answer:

Related Book For  book-img-for-question

Chemistry The Central Science

ISBN: 978-0134414232

14th Edition

Authors: Theodore Brown, H. LeMay, Bruce Bursten, Catherine Murphy, Patrick Woodward, Matthew Stoltzfus

Question Posted: