Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used to make soft soaps, which are typically more soluble and have a lower melting point than soaps made with sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Soft soaps are often used in liquid soaps, shampoos, and body washes.
The carboxylate end of a soap molecule (-COO-) is hydrophilic (water-loving), meaning it is attracted to water.
This end of the molecule is negatively charged and is able to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, which are polar and also have a slightly positive charge.
Surfactants reduce the surface tension of water, which is the energy required to create a surface between water and air.
By reducing surface tension, surfactants make it easier for water to spread and penetrate surfaces, which is important for cleaning and other applications.
Spectroscopy is a analytical technique used to measure the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, such as light.
It is used to assess the concentration or amount of a given atomic, molecular, or ionic chemical species by measuring the absorption, emission, or scattering of light by the species.