Soap micelles help to emulsify and trap oil and dirt in water, allowing them to be rinsed away. The micelles surround the oil droplets, suspending them in water and facilitating their removal.
Share
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Soap micelles help to emulsify and trap oil and dirt in water, allowing them to be rinsed away. The micelles surround the oil droplets, suspending them in water and facilitating their removal.
Soap micelles play a crucial role in cleaning by emulsifying and solubilizing hydrophobic substances like oil and grease in water. The hydrophobic tails of soap molecules cluster together in the core of the micelle, encapsulating the oily substances, while the hydrophilic heads face outward, interacting with water. This arrangement forms stable colloidal structures known as micelles. The micelles disperse and suspend the hydrophobic contaminants in water, preventing their re-aggregation. As a result, the emulsified particles can be easily rinsed away, facilitating the removal of dirt, grease, and oils during the cleaning process, making soap an effective cleaning agent.