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Question: An advantage of detergents over soaps is: A. Detergents always contain heads B. Detergents are b...

An advantage of detergents over soaps is:
A. Detergents always contain heads
B. Detergents are biodegradable
C. Detergents are cheaper to make
D. Detergents do not precipitate in hard water

Explanation

Solution

The salt of the fatty acid is known as soap. It is used for cleansing and lubricating the products. It is mainly used for washing and bathing in the domestic settings while in the industries it is used as a catalyst and as a lubricant as well.

Complete step by step answer:
The surfactant or the mixture of surfactants which has the cleansing property in the dilute. The solution of water is known as detergent. Both the soap and detergents are similar in the chemical constitution in terms of the parent carbon chain present in them. Both the soap and detergent contain heads, they are biodegradable and the cost of production is moderate but the main advantage of detergents over soap is detergents do not precipitate in hard water. Thus the clothes with the detergents can be easily washed with the hard water as well because the detergents are prepared synthetically and the metal ions do not form the compounds with the hydrocarbon chains and the action of cleansing is smoothly carried out.

Water is of two types: the soft and the hard water and the hardness of the water is due to the presence of the soluble bicarbonates, chlorides and sulphates of the calcium and magnesium ions present in the water. Soft water is the one which forms the lather with the soap while the hard water does not form the lather with the soap instead it contains the ions such as magnesium and calcium. But with the detergents even the hard water can be used easily for the washing purpose.
Thus option D is the correct answer.

Note: The water we use has the property of hardness and the hardness is also of two types: the permanent and the temporary hardness. The temporary hardness of the water can be easily removed by boiling and using the simple removal techniques whereas the permanent hardness of the water cannot be removed by such processes.