Final answer:
In comparison to other water, hard water contains more calcium and magnesium, which can lead to scale formation and can damage water handling equipment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hard water has excess calcium and magnesium, leading to scale formation that can harm equipment. Softening processes and agents help combat these issues, improving soap lather and reducing deposits.Hard water naturally develops from the dissolution of calcium and magnesium carbonate minerals in the soil. However, it decreases the efficiency of soap forming suds and increases the formation of scale, particularly on hot water equipment like boilers where it is known as 'boiler scale'.
Scale is a build-up of minerals that can severely restrict water flow and heat transfer within pipes. To mitigate these issues, processes such as ion-exchange in commercial water softeners are used. Water softeners exchanges ions like calcium and magnesium with sodium, resulting in water that lathers more readily and produces fewer mineral deposits. Oxygen-based and phosphates agents in cleaning products can also bind with calcium and magnesium ions to aid in reducing scale but can have ecological impacts.