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The cleansing action of soap is due to which of the following mechanisms?

1. Oil and grease are absorbed into the hydrophobic core of soap micelles and then washed away with water
2. Oil and grease are absorbed into the hydrophilic outer region of soap micelles and washed away
3. Oil and grease are absorbed into both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions but cannot be washed away
4. The cleansing action has nothing to do with micelle formation

Correct answer: Oil and grease are absorbed into the hydrophobic core of soap micelles and then washed away with water

Solution

When soap is dissolved in water, its molecules arrange into micelles: the non-polar hydrocarbon tails cluster inward (hydrophobic core) while the ionic heads face outward (hydrophilic shell). Grease and oily dirt dissolve in the hydrophobic interior of the micelle and are thereby emulsified and rinsed away by water.

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