Asked by pinky

While on vacation, you notice that a substantial lather fails to form as you wash your hands with soap.

a. How do you characterize this water? Why?

b. How could this water be treated to remedy this situation?

Answered by Shanice
Soft water readily forms lather with soap, but it is more difficult to form lather with hard water. The dissolved calcium ions and magnesium ions in hard water react with the soap to form scum, so more soap is needed. This can be minimized by the addition of chemicals like sodium trimetaphosphate.
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