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Detergents are –
  • a)
    Sodium salts of fatty acids
  • b)
    Sodium salts of sulphonic acids
  • c)
    Sodium salt of benzoic acid
  • d)
    None of the above
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
Detergents are –a)Sodium salts of fatty acidsb)Sodium salts of s...
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutiops." These substances are usually alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate (of detergents) is less likely than the polar carboxyl (of soap) to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water. In most household contexts, the term detergent by itself refers specifically to laundry detergent or dish detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents.
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Detergents are –a)Sodium salts of fatty acidsb)Sodium salts of s...
Understanding Detergents
Detergents are substances used for cleaning and they play a vital role in various cleaning applications. They can be categorized based on their chemical structure and the type of surfactants they contain.
Types of Detergents
- Sodium Salts of Fatty Acids: These are traditional soaps made from natural fats and oils. They work effectively in soft water but may not perform well in hard water. Thus, they are not classified as synthetic detergents.
- Sodium Salts of Sulphonic Acids: This is the correct answer. Synthetic detergents, commonly used in household and industrial cleaning products, are derived from petrochemicals and often take the form of sodium salts of sulfonic acids. These detergents are effective in hard water, provide better cleaning power, and are designed to work in a variety of conditions.
- Sodium Salt of Benzoic Acid: While this compound can serve as a preservative in food, it is not classified as a detergent. It does not possess the surfactant properties necessary for cleaning applications.
Conclusion
The correct classification of detergents is essential to understand their functionality and application. Sodium salts of sulfonic acids are designed to provide enhanced cleaning capabilities, making option 'B' the correct choice. Their effectiveness in hard water and ability to emulsify oils and dirt are what set them apart from traditional soap-based cleaners.
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Direction: Read the passage given below and answer the following question.A chemical element is generally found to be useful if it exhibits at least one of the following two characteristics; It should be available abundantly or at least in sufficient quantities and It should exhibit properties that are extremely desirable. Chlorine, which is one among approximately 100 natural chemical elements, satisfies both these conditions. Highly reactive, chlorine is naturally found throughout the Earth, bound with other elements. It is no wonder therefore that chlorine is considered one of the building blocks of our planet.Even though some chlorine compounds were known (in other names and not as compounds of chlorin e) through centuries, chlorine itself was first discovered, so as to say, only in 1774. German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele is credited with the discovery. He discovered it when he dropped a few drops of hydrochloric acid with the mineral pyrolusite (manganese dioxide in its natural form). The greenish-yellow dense gas that resulted was chlorine, and Scheele noted that it had a choking smell, dissolved in water to give an acidic solution, bleached litmus paper, and decolorized leaves and flowers. Even though Scheele had produced chlorine and had also noted many of its properties, he hadn’t identified it as a chemical element. The prevailing theory then identified what we now know chlorine as a compound of oxygen. Famed French chemist Antoine Lavoisier believed that all acids must contain oxygen and that oxygen was the principle of acidity. Chlorine, therefore, was identified back then as oxymuriatic acid.It took decades before these perceptions were corrected and the changes were widely accepted. The person who set these things right was English chemist Humphry Davy. Davy began investigating this substance in the first decade of the 19th Century. He was able to show that oxygen wasn’t present in hydrochloric acid and also established the correct relation between chlorine and this acid. Proving this not only negated Lavoisier’s theory that all acids contained oxygen, but also showed that the name oxymuriatic acid cannot be applied to the substance in question.In a paper titled On a Combination of oxymuriatic Gas and Oxygene Gas, Davy presented what he called “extraordinary and novel results". He read this paper to the Royal Society on February 21, 1811. Davy went on to call the substance in question “chloros”, from the Greek word for greenish-yellow and updated it to chlorine later on.Q. When will be the chemical element found to be useful?

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Detergents are –a)Sodium salts of fatty acidsb)Sodium salts of sulphonic acidsc)Sodium salt of benzoic acidd)None of the aboveCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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