A substance, such as a detergent, added to a liquid to increase its spreading or wetting properties by reducing its surface tension.
Chemistry
A substance, such as a detergent, added to a liquid to increase its spreading or wetting properties by reducing its surface tension.
Chemical Engineering
A molecule that contains both polar and non-polar parts causing the molecule to act at the surface where different substances meet. Soaps are surfactants. Their (p. 368) structure allows them to detach grease and oil particles from a surface being cleaned and to emulsify them so that they can be washed away.
Biology
A substance, such as a detergent, added to a liquid to increase its spreading or wetting properties by reducing its surface tension.