What it shows
Soaps differ in how much lather they make. In hard water, calcium and magnesium salts react with soap to form scum, so less foam forms.
This idea has a short entry only. For the science behind it, read the sentence above with your textbook and ask your teacher to explain the law or idea it shows, so you can describe it in your own words.
Materials
- Samples of different soaps
- Distilled water, and hard water (borewell water, or distilled water with a pinch of Epsom salt dissolved in it)
- Test tubes with stoppers
- A ruler and a stopwatch
Safety
This project uses safe, everyday materials. Still, read the rules below with a parent before you start.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
How to go about it
Numbered steps have not been written for this idea yet. Plan it with your teacher: sketch the design with measurements, build one part at a time, test each part, and write every observation with the date. The free ebooks below have step-by-step projects of the same kind.
Free ebooks for this project
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