new/old soap

[Viewseeker]

I searched this and didnt come up with anything so my question is ....Why does a new bar of soap suds up better than say an old one thats thinned down?? No matter what brand it seems to be the same....inquiring minds need to know.

 

[Oldsmores]

decreasing surface area?

 

[Viewseeker]

maybe.....i'd have to think its more....

 

[BorealChickadee]

From GoogleAnswers:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=308985

And to keep this hiking related I'm sure your real question is, how can I maximize my suds while minimizing my weight for a three day trip in the woods?

 

[Viewseeker]

yup true...you read my mind

 

[Oldsmores]

maybe.....i'd have to think its more....

I don't know why I even think about things like this, but...

If you take a hypothetical homogeneous bar of soap that's 3" X 2" X 1", it has a volume of 6 cu. in. and a surface area of 22 sq. in. If you wear off 1/4" all the way around, you now have a bar that's 2.5" X 1.5" X .5", with a volume of 1.875 cu. in. and a surface area of 11.5 sq. in.

Soooo, a relatively small reduction in outside dimensions (17%, 25%, and 50%, respectively) results in a huge reduction in both volume (69%) and surface area (48%).

I think it's time to go back to my Star Trek convention now...

 

[Viewseeker]

Thats sure a good reason for lack of suds!!! Science and math rule trekky

 

[Little Rickie]

I don't know why I even think about things like this, but...

If you take a hypothetical homogeneous bar of soap that's 3" X 2" X 1", it has a volume of 6 cu. in. and a surface area of 22 sq. in. If you wear off 1/4" all the way around, you now have a bar that's 2.5" X 1.5" X .5", with a volume of 1.875 cu. in. and a surface area of 11.5 sq. in.

Soooo, a relatively small reduction in outside dimensions (17%, 25%, and 50%, respectively) results in a huge reduction in both volume (69%) and surface area (48%).

I think it's time to go back to my Star Trek convention now...

That was awesome! What ever it ment.

You use soap while camping?

 

[DougPaul]

That was awesome! What ever it ment.

It means that used soap has less surface area which results in fewer suds...

Doug

 

[Quietman]

I always carry a 2 ounce bottle of Mountain Suds, which works the same till its empty.

 

[Tom Rankin]

It means that used soap has less surface area which results in fewer suds...

Doug

And it goes down roughly proportional to the square of the size, rather than the size itself.

 

[Stan]

Careful what soap you use during the summer, also known to some as bug season. The prefumes or other chemicals in soaps and shampoos can attract certain insects so if you can get by without them, without losing friends, you are better off.

I've never tried it but there are hunters' soaps that help neutralize human odors. Be interesting to know if it helps minimize your attraction to biting insects.

As for suds, that equation may work for beer, too. Ever notice when the glass is half full, the suds disappear disproportionately? There are some who observe the glass as half empty, in which case the suds disappear completely.

 

[DougPaul]

And it goes down roughly proportional to the square of the size, rather than the size itself.

And the volume scales as the cube of the size.

Where size means a linear dimension. (Perceived size of a bar of soap might be more its weight or volume.)

However, this is not a strict scaling problem (all dimensions change by the same percentage). Oldsmores treated it more accurately as a surface wear problem where a fixed amount is removed from each surface. (In practice the edges and corners would wear faster, but this is good enough to illustrate the point.)


Yet another pressing issue of the day has been dealt with on the mighty vftt...

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

Careful what soap you use during the summer, also known to some as bug season. The prefumes or other chemicals in soaps and shampoos can attract certain insects so if you can get by without them, without losing friends, you are better off.

I have read reports that some bugs (midges, British terminology*) are repelled by greasy skin, so washing with anything (or just plain) water can make you vulnerable.

So now you have a reason to leave the soap at home when hiking (unless you prefer to prevent the spread of hand-borne diseases...).

* I read the report in a British publication. No-see-ums are (American terminology) one variety of midge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midge_(insect)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-see-um

Doug

 

[Little Rickie]

You use soap while camping?

and you thought I was joking when I posted this

 

[DSettahr]

Soap can also contribute to the cultural eutriphication (pollution) of lakes. There are nutrients in soap that algae love to consume, resulting in a trophic cascade that causes water bodies to age at an increased rate.

Soap should never be used near any water sources- use the same procedure for dealing with soap suds that you would use with human waste.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Soap can also contribute to the cultural eutriphication (pollution) of lakes. There are nutrients in soap that algae love to consume, resulting in a trophic cascade that causes water bodies to age at an increased rate.

Soap should never be used near any water sources- use the same procedure for dealing with soap suds that you would use with human waste.

I was going to mention this as well. When I was at 'Lakes' a few years ago, the Naturalist was berating a group for bathing in one of the 'Lakes' with soap.

She added that it would ultimately kill the frogs that had worked so hard to make it all the way up there.

 

[pks4000]

News you can use I suppose?