EXPERIMENT – 7
Aim
To study the comparative cleaning capacity of a sample of soap in soft and hard water.
Theory
> Soap: It is the sodium or potassium salt of long-chained carboxylic acids.
Cleansing Property of Soap
> Soaps when mixed in water its ionic end dissolves in water but the long chain of carboxylic
acid does not dissolve in water but dissolves in oil.
> The soap molecules form structures called ‘micelles’.
> The ionic end is towards the water and the non-ionic end faces towards the oil.
> This forms emulsion in water.
> The soap micelles thus helps.in dissolving the dirt in water and we can wash clothes clean.
> Soft water: The water with no salt in it.
> Hard water: The water with dissolved salt in it. It may be calcium or magnesium salts.
> For cleansing purpose, the foam needs to be produced which depends on free availability of
hydrophobic portion of soaps (or alkyl group).
> In soft water, soap shows the cleansing property by forming foam.
> In hard water, hydrophobic end of soap is trapped due to scum or precipitation with the
calcium and magnesium salts. This makes the hard water unsuitable for washing.
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Materials Required
Two test tubes, test tube stand and measuring cylinder.
Chemical required: Samples of hard and soft water, soap solution and cooking oil.
Procedure (Part A)
1. Take 10 mL of distilled water (soft water) in a test tube. Label it as ‘A’.
2. Take 10 mL of hard water (water from hand-pump, underground water) in another test tube.
Label it as ‘B’.
3. In both the test tubes, add few drops of soap solution.
4. Shake the test tubes ‘A’ and ‘B’ vigorously for an equal period of time. Keep them in the test
tube stand and record your observations.
Observations
1. In test tube A, soap formed lather or foam.
2. In test tube B, white precipitate was formed with no lather or foam.
Conclusion
Soaps are effective cleaner only in soft water because the soap molecules form lather in soft
water. But in case of hard water, the soap molecules do not remain as soap molecules but the
ionic end of soap reacts with the salts present in hard water to form curdy white precipitate called
scum.
Precautions
1. Use same sample of soap solution for soft water and hard water.
2. Same quantity of soap solution must be added to both the test tubes containing soft water and
hard water.
3. The concentration of all test solutions must be same.
4. Shake every test tube for equal number of times and in a similar manner.
Note: If hard water is not available prepare some hard water by dissolving hydrogen
carbonate/sulphates/chloride salt of calcium or magnesium in water.
Procedure (Part B)
1. Take 10 mL of distilled water/soft water and add a drop of cooking oil in it. Label this test
tube as ‘A’.
2. Take 10 mL of hard water and add a drop of cooking oil in it. Label this test tube as ‘B’.
3. Now, add a few drops of soap solution in both the test tubes ‘A’ and ‘B’.
4. Shake both the test tubes vigorously for the same period of time.
5. Keep them on the test tube stand and record your observations.
Observations
1. The test tube ‘A’ with soft water showed the oil emulsified due to soap solution.
2. The test tube ‘B’ showed no emulsification due to soap solution.
Conclusion
1. The formation of emulsion of oil in soft water by soap shows the effect of soap in cleaning.
2. Soaps are more effective cleaners in soft water than in hard water.
Precautions
1. Use same sample of soap solution for soft water and hard water.
2. Use same cooking oil for soft water and hard water.
3. The concentration of all test solutions must be same.
4. Shake every test tube for equal number of times and in a similar manner.
