During the spontaneous micellisation of sodium stearate (soap) in an aqueous medium, how do the cons — Surface Chemistry Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Soap molecules contain a hydrophobic tail (hydrocarbon chain) and a hydrophilic head ($COO^-$). In an aqueous (polar) medium, to minimize repulsive energy, the water-hating hydrophobic tails aggregate at the center (core), while the water-loving polar heads point outward, interacting with the surrounding water.