Q49 of 312 Page 265

Describe the structure of a soap molecule with the help of a diagram.

A soap molecule is made up of two parts: a long hydrocarbon part and a short ionic part containing the -COO-Na+ group. The long hydrocarbon part is hydrophobic and therefore, soluble in oil but insoluble in water. The short ionic part is hydrophilic in nature, so soluble in water but insoluble in oil.



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