Question

Commercial soaps are mixtures of ionic compounds typically made up of monatomic cations, such as Na and K , and organic polyatomic anions derived from fatty acids. These negatively charged molecular ions are characterized by the presence of hydrocarbon chains which are 12 to 18 carbon atoms long. How hard (solid, insoluble) or soft (liquid, soluble) a soap is depends on the nature of the anions and cations present in the system. Analyze how each of the following factors may affect the hardness or softness of soaps:

1. The nature of the cations. For example, Na* vs Li* vs K.
2. The length of the hydrocarbon chain. For example, 12 carbons (laureate lon), 14 carbons (myristate lon), or 18 carbons (stearate lon).

Answer 1

Following are the solution to the given question:

Step-by-step explanation:

For question 1:

• The sodium soap containing Na+ is strong whereas the softer or liquids were potassium soap.
• It's hard to use lithium soap.
• These Na+, K+, and Li+ ions act as the hydrophilic center.
• Calcium and Magnesium ions could be substituted by hard water with increasing hydrophilicity.

For question 2:

• The hydrophobicity of its carbon chain increases but one appears weaker with only an increased length.
• Therefore, the laureate is hard, while the stearate is soft.