Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of long-chain carboxylic acids. They are surfactants, meaning they have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) ends, enabling them to emulsify and remove dirt and oils from surfaces.
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Soaps are cleaning agents that are typically composed of the sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids. These fatty acids are derived from the hydrolysis of fats or oils and contain long hydrocarbon chains. The chemical composition of soap molecules consists of a hydrophilic (water-attracting) head, which is usually a carboxylate group (-COO-) derived from the fatty acid, and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) tail, which is a long hydrocarbon chain. This dual nature of soap molecules enables them to interact with both water and oily substances, facilitating the removal of dirt and grease from surfaces during cleaning.