Question

Why does micelle formation take place when soap is added to water? Will a micelle be formed in other solvents such as ethanol also?

Answer 1

Soap molecule has two ends. One end is hydrophilic and another end is hydrophobic. When soap is dissolved in water and clothes are put in the soapy solution, soap molecules converge in a typical fashion to make a structure; called micelle. The hydrophobic ends of different molecules surround a particle of grease and make the micelle; which is a spherical structure. In this, the hydrophilic end is outside the sphere and hydrophobic end is towards the centre of the sphere. This is why micelle formation takes place when soap is added to water.

Since ethanol is not as polar as soap, so micelles will not be formed in other solvents such as ethanol.