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Phospholipids and soap molecules both have hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts. A phospholipid has a polar head group and two nonpolar fatty acid tails, while soap molecules have a similar structure with a polar head attached to a nonpolar hydrophobic tail. Both molecules can interact with water and oil due to their amphipathic nature.

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1y ago

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Which is the best choice for cleansing the skin phospholipids silicone ordinary soap or petrolatum?

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What breaks down soap molecules?

Enzymes break down soap molecules.


What is the name of the structure formed when a soap coats an oily particle to make it water soluble?

The structure is called a micelle. It forms when soap molecules surround oily particles, with the hydrophobic tails of the soap facing inward and the hydrophilic heads facing outward, allowing the oily particle to be dispersed in water.


Which shampoo contains pig's fat?

Dove shampoo and many other similar brands use pigs fat in their shampoo. This helps bind the soap and form the structure of the soap.


How does soap mix with octane?

When soap is mixed with octane the non-polar ends of the soap molecules are attracted with induced-dipole induced-dipole attractions to the non-polar octane molecules. The octane molecules repel the polar ends of the soap and the soap molecules form inverted soap bubbles that attract polar molecules like water.


Why does soap dissolve the cell membrane?

Soap dissolves the cell membrane because it is made up of molecules that can break down the fats and proteins in the membrane, causing it to lose its structure and fall apart.


Why soap absorb water?

Soaps are complex combinations of molecules. On the surface of the soap there are many holes and spaces between the molecules that the water can enter. There the water molecules come in and probably penetrate many layers deep into the soap, and stay there. Thus the soap expands and becomes bigger. This happens most in pure water and then less in liquids which not like water. The reason for the difference is that inside the soap there are both "hydrophilic" (water liking) and "hydrophobic" (water hating) portions of the molecules. But importantly, the hydrophilic portions are on the outside of the molecules so water can get close to the molecules. So the more like water the liquid is, the more the water can get close to the molecules and stay with them (be absorbed into the soap). When the water has other particles dissolved in it, like iced tea, Sprite or salt water, the water molecules can't get as close to the hydrophilic portions. And of course the oil molecules are repelled by the hydrophilic portions of the soap. So the answer of why soap absorbs the water is that the water molecules penetrate the soap and stay with the hydrophilic portions of the soap molecules. This happens more when the liquid is more like water.


Why does soap foam?

Soap foam is created when soap molecules trap air within them. These molecules have two ends - one end is attracted to water (hydrophilic) and the other end is repelled by water (hydrophobic). When you agitate soap with water, the hydrophobic ends attach to air bubbles, creating a stable foam structure.


How does soap remove oil?

Water will dissolve anything that is polar but oil is nonpolar. It usually takes nonpolar liquids to dissolve a nonpolar substance. Soap molecules help with this because they have a polar head that interacts with water nicely and a nonpolar tail that interacts with things like oil. The end result is a drop of oil with a layer of soap floating around in the water.


Organic salt with a structure similar to that of soap?

One example of an organic salt with a structure similar to soap is sodium stearate. It is derived from stearic acid, found in animal and vegetable fats, and behaves like soap in its ability to emulsify oils and water. Sodium stearate is commonly used in cosmetic products and as an emulsifier in food products.


Why pepper goes to the sides when soap touches the water?

When soap is added to water, the soap molecules disrupt the surface tension of the water. This disruption causes the water to push the pepper particles to the sides, away from the soap, in an attempt to minimize contact with the soap molecules.


What do liquid crystals look like?

Liquid crystals appear similar to liquids, but they have properties of both liquids and solid crystals. Under polarized light, they exhibit colorful patterns due to their anisotropic nature, meaning their molecules have different properties depending on their orientation. Liquid crystals can be transparent or opaque, depending on their structure and arrangement of molecules.