What properties do soap molecules have?
1 Answer
Soaps and detergents are the SALTS of long chain fatty acids........
Explanation:
So what is a fatty acid? It is usually a long-chain carboxylic acid, of the form
And this is thus the origin of micelle formation:
And here the micelle binds the grease/dirt, and prevents it from redepositing back on your skin, or your clothes, or on the breakfast dishes.
Similar chemistry occurs with long chain sulfonic acids,