How Soap Defeats Grease: The Chemistry of Surfactants and Micelles
Why does water slide off a greasy plate instead of carrying the grease away? The answer lies in how particles interact: water and grease have different molecular properties, so they do not readily mix. Polarity and intermolecular attractions help explain why water alone struggles to clean household food grease. Soap can act as a molecular bridge between water and oily dirt, but how can one part of a molecule interact with water while another interacts with grease?
This lesson just one in the category Chemistry. To access this lesson you need to have a valid learner account, ask your parent to register you now.