Why do soaps and detergents function differently?

One of the biggest reasons for this is the way soap reacts with water. While detergents are free-rinsing (meaning they don’t leave a residue), soap needs a clear water wash after application or it will leave a film. Hard water is the enemy of soap. In hard water conditions soaps form scum.Click to see full answer. Just so, how is detergent different from soap?Soaps have relatively weak cleansing action whereas; detergents have a strong cleansing action. A detergent is a sodium salt of alkyl benzene sulphonate or of a fatty alcohol sulphate. A soap is a sodium or potassium salt of higher fatty acids. A detergent is more effective in hard water.Beside above, what are the two main disadvantages of soaps versus detergent? Disadvantage of soap, some strong soaps can be harmful to the skin or the environment, and other soaps can react with acids and can be very dangerous. What are the advantages/disadvantages of detergent? An advantage of detergent is that it has a strong cleaning action,and can be used in hard water. Also to know is, why is detergent more effective than soap? Answer: Detergents are better cleansing agents than soaps because they can be used even with hard water. The charged ends of detergents do not form insoluble precipitates with calcium and magnesium ions in hard water. Detergents have a stronger cleansing action than soaps and are more soluble in water than soaps.What is the main difference between a soap and a detergent quizlet?Soaps and Detergents have water-attracting (hydrophilic) groups on one end of the molecule and water-repelling(hydrophobic) groups on the other. Soap is a cleansing and emusifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts.