Polyethylene glycol stearate is a _______ detergent

Answer

To determine the type of detergent that polyethylene glycol stearate is, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Compound**: We start by recognizing that the compound in question is polyethylene glycol stearate.

2. **Understand Detergents**: We need to understand the different types of detergents. There are three main categories of detergents: anionic, cationic, and non-ionic.

3. **Define Non-Ionic Detergents**: Non-ionic detergents are those that do not carry any charge (ions) in their molecular structure. This means they do not dissociate into ions in solution.

4. **Analyze the Structure of Polyethylene Glycol Stearate**: Polyethylene glycol stearate is formed by the reaction of stearic acid with polyethylene glycol. The structure of polyethylene glycol stearate does not have any ionizable groups.

5. **Conclusion**: Since polyethylene glycol stearate does not contain any ions and fits the definition of a non-ionic detergent, we conclude that it is a non-ionic detergent.

### Final Answer:
Polyethylene glycol stearate is a **non-ionic detergent**.

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