Compounds like sodium stearate, called “surfactants” in
general, can form structures known as micelles in water,
once the solution concentration reaches the value known
as the critical micelle concentration (cmc). Micelles contain
dozens to hundreds of molecules. The cmc depends
on the substance, the solvent, and the temperature.
At and above the cmc, the properties of the solution vary
drastically. (a) The turbidity (the amount of light scattering) of solutions
increases dramatically at the cmc. Suggest an explanation.
(b) The ionic conductivity of the solution
dramatically changes at the cmc. Suggest an explanation.
(c) Chemists have developed fluorescent dyes that glow
brightly only when the dye molecules are in a hydrophobic
environment. Predict how the intensity of such fluorescence
would relate to the concentration of sodium stearate
as the sodium stearate concentration approaches and then
increases past the cmc.
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