Science Secrets · Drawing 36 of 40
Soap Helps Water Carry Grease Away
Everyday Inventions
Water alone does not easily remove grease. Soap helps disperse it into small droplets that water can carry away. Washing dishes becomes a little everyday laboratory.
Did you know?
One part of a soap molecule interacts with water and another with grease.
Look together
Which objects help wash this plate?
An idea to try
With an adult, compare water and a little oil in a closed container before and after adding a drop of soap. Do not taste it.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Soap and detergents contain amphiphilic molecules. They help disperse grease, without all grease truly dissolving in water.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified scene and shapes. Models, imagined comparisons and enlargements do not preserve all real measurements.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Science World: BubblesWater alone does not easily remove grease. Soap helps disperse it into small droplets that water can carry away. Washing dishes becomes a little everyday laboratory.
Source review: 2026-10-12. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
