Synthetic detergents work well even in hard water. T/F

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Soaps and Detergents:**
- Soaps are made from sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids. They have a structure that includes a long hydrocarbon chain and a carboxylate group (COO⁻).
- Detergents, on the other hand, are synthetic compounds that often contain a sulfonate group (SO₃⁻) attached to an alkyl chain.

2. **Effect of Hard Water:**
- Hard water contains high concentrations of calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions.
- When soap is used in hard water, these ions react with the soap to form insoluble salts (scum), which precipitate out and do not contribute to cleaning.

3. **Reaction of Soap in Hard Water:**
- For example, when sodium stearate (a soap) reacts with calcium chloride (CaCl₂) in hard water, it forms insoluble calcium stearate and sodium chloride:
\[ \text{C}_{17}\text{H}_{35}\text{COO}^- \text{Na} + \text{CaCl}_2 \rightarrow \text{Ca(C}_{17}\text{H}_{35}\text{COO)}_2 \text{ (insoluble)} + \text{NaCl} \]
- This reaction results in scum formation, which reduces the effectiveness of the soap.

4. **Detergents in Hard Water:**
- Detergents do not form insoluble salts with calcium and magnesium ions. Instead, they remain soluble and can effectively clean even in hard water.
- For example, sodium lauryl sulfate (a common detergent) does not precipitate with hard water ions, allowing it to function effectively.

5. **Conclusion:**
- Since synthetic detergents can work well in hard water without forming scum, the statement "Synthetic detergents work well even in hard water" is **True**.

**Final Answer: True**

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