Question

You have a spot of oil, which is nonpolar, on your favorite shirt. In which substance will the oil be most likely to dissolve?

A. Soap, which contains long molecules that are charged at one end and have atoms at the other end that share electrons equally.
B. Ethanol, which has molecules that have one end with a slight charge.
C. Ammonia, which is made of molecules with a slightly negative nitrogen atom and three slightly positive hydrogen atoms.
D. All of the above, because stains on shirts are neither polar nor nonpolar

Answer 1

Soap is the substance most likely to dissolve nonpolar oil from a shirt because its molecules are amphiphilic, with both a polar end that interacts with water and a nonpolar end that can dissolve oil, forming micelles that can be washed away.

Therefore, option A is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The substance in which oil, a nonpolar substance, is most likely to dissolve is soap. Soap molecules are amphiphilic, meaning they have both a polar, hydrophilic (water-loving) end, and a nonpolar, hydrophobic (water-fearing) end. The hydrocarbon (nonpolar) tail of the soap molecule can dissolve in, or be attracted to, nonpolar substances such as oil. These characteristic properties of soap allow it to act as a bridge between oil and water, resulting in the formation of micelles where the oil is enclosed in soap and can be washed away. Therefore, the correct answer is A. Soap, which contains molecules that have a dual nature that enables them to interact with both polar and nonpolar substances.