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?