AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Detergents, like soaps, work because they are amphiphilic: partly hydrophilic (polar) and partly hydrophobic (non-polar). Their dual nature facilitates the mixture of hydrophobic compounds (like oil and grease) with water. Because air is not hydrophilic, detergents are also foaming agents to varying degrees.

Detailed explanation-2: -Both Soap and detergents are composed of long non-polar hydrocarbon molecules with a polar or ionic end, thus they combine both polar and non-polar characteristics in the same molecule.

Detailed explanation-3: -Detergents are amphipathic molecules that contain both polar and hydrophobic groups. These molecules contain a polar group (head) at the end of a long hydrophobic carbon chain (tail). In contrast to purely polar or non-polar molecules, amphipathic molecules exhibit unique properties in water.

Detailed explanation-4: -Why? The soap molecule has two different ends, one that is hydrophilic (polar head) that binds with water and the other that is hydrophobic (non-polar hydrocarbon tail) that binds with grease and oil. Since soap molecules have both properties of non-polar and polar molecules soap can act as an emulsifier.

Detailed explanation-5: -Soaps are water soluble while detergents are water insoluble.