Surface-active agents, also known as surfactants, are compounds that lower the surface tension and interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. They are commonly used in detergents and cleaning agents to enhance their effectiveness in removing oil and grease from surfaces.Surfactants consist of a hydrophilic water-loving head and a hydrophobic water-repelling tail. When added to an aqueous solution, they arrange themselves at the interface between the water and the oil or grease, with their hydrophilic heads facing the water and their hydrophobic tails facing the oil or grease. This arrangement reduces the interfacial tension between the water and the oil or grease, allowing the two to mix more easily.The reduction in surface tension and interfacial tension has several impacts on the effectiveness of detergents and cleaning agents in removing oil and grease from surfaces:1. Emulsification: Surfactants promote the formation of emulsions, which are mixtures of two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water. By reducing the interfacial tension between the oil and water, surfactants allow the oil droplets to disperse throughout the water, making it easier to wash away the oil and grease from surfaces.2. Wetting: The reduction in surface tension allows the cleaning solution to spread more easily over the surface being cleaned, ensuring better contact between the cleaning agent and the oil or grease. This improved wetting action helps to lift and remove the oil and grease from the surface.3. Solubilization: Surfactants can form micelles, which are spherical aggregates of surfactant molecules with their hydrophobic tails pointing inward and their hydrophilic heads pointing outward. These micelles can solubilize oil and grease, encapsulating them within the micelle structure and allowing them to be washed away with water.4. Foaming: Surfactants can also promote the formation of foam, which can help to lift and remove oil and grease from surfaces. The foam traps the oil and grease, preventing them from redepositing onto the surface being cleaned.In summary, surface-active agents in detergents and cleaning agents reduce surface tension and interfacial tension in aqueous solutions, which enhances their effectiveness in removing oil and grease from surfaces. This is achieved through emulsification, wetting, solubilization, and foaming, all of which contribute to the overall cleaning process.