alleryWhich statement correctly distinguishes a detergent from a soap?
AA detergent is effective even in hard water
BA detergent forms a scum in hard water
CA detergent is a salt of a fatty acid
DA detergent has poor foaming capacity
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. A detergent is effective even in hard water
1. Soaps form scum and lose effectiveness in hard water, while the question asks about detergents.
2. Detergents are salts of sulphonic acids, not fatty acids, so that option describes soap.
3. Detergents have rich foaming capacity, so poor foaming describes soap.
4. Detergents do not precipitate with Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺, so they remain effective even in hard water; option A is correct.
_Source: Samacheer Kalvi (TN SCERT) Class 10 Science, Unit 11 "Carbon and its Compounds", p.176_
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