On Monday, June 1, 1998 at 12:30:00 PM UTC+5:30, Juliet wrote:   
   > We did an experiment in chemistry today (we are studying surface chemistry,   
   > you see) where by dettol was added to water.  It went from being a slightly   
   > transparent, brownish clear type o/w emulsion, to an opaque, whitish,   
   > cloudy liquid.  My chem teacher said that it's because the droplets of oil   
   > in the water are now larger because more water has been added.  when   
   > detergent was added, more surfactants were added and the oil droplets were   
   > then apparently smaller so the liquid returned to it's normal clearish   
   > state.  I asked my chemistry teacher why the larger drops formed when the   
   > dettol was diluted in water, and he didn't know.  Does anyone out there in   
   > the world of chemistry have an idea as to why the oil droplets become   
   > bigger causing the liquid to become cloudy?   
   >   
   > Juliet Holwill   
   > Melbourne, Australia   
   > --   
   > Holwill@melbpc.org.au   
      
   it is because, detergent is an emulsifying agent, and the job of emulsifying   
   agent is to form an inter-facial film between suspended particles and the   
   medium, thereby enhancing the mixing capacity of the two liquids.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)