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  • Why does micelle formation take place when soap is added to water ? Will a micelle be formed in other solvents such as ethanol also ?

Q. 8.     Why does micelle formation take place when soap is added to water? Will a micelle be formed in other solvents such as ethanol also?

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A soap is a sodium or potassium salt of long chain fatty acids. It has one polar hydrophilic end and one non-polar hydrophobic end. These molecules have a unique orientation inside water in form of clusters of molecule in which hydrophobic ends are in the interior of the cluster and ionic ends on the surface of cluster thus keeping the hydrocarbon portion out of water. 

This formation is known as Micelle. Soap in the form of a micelle is able to clean, as the oily dirt is collected in the centre of the micelle.

No, micelle formation does not take place in ethanol because the alkyl chain of soap becomes soluble in alcohol. 

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HARSH KANKARIA

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