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Soap
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
A boy went to the kitchen and saw his dad having difficulty holding the bar of soap.
"What's wrong, Dad?" the boy inquired.
"Oh, I think this soap must have some sort of acid in it, it is so slippery."
"No, Dad, the soap doesn't have an acid in it. Don't you remember your basic chemistry?"
How did the boy know this?
"What's wrong, Dad?" the boy inquired.
"Oh, I think this soap must have some sort of acid in it, it is so slippery."
"No, Dad, the soap doesn't have an acid in it. Don't you remember your basic chemistry?"
How did the boy know this?
Answer
First, soap usually does not have an acid in it: it has a base. There are properties of soap that can prove it has a base and not an acid. Soap is slippery as the father said, because bases are slick, while acids are not. Second, soap is bitter, not sour: bases are bitter, while acids are sour. Finally, soap turns red litmus paper blue, a tell-tale sign that you have a base.Hide Answer Show Answer
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