# @thespacegal on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SQaLYFN_k
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/19515730-thespacegal-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/9001371709.jpg
- **Posted:** 2020-03-28T17:12:24.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Emily Calandrelli (@thespacegal) — https://gondola.cc/thespacegal

## Caption

How does soap destroy the coronavirus? 🧼⁣
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I made a video (on YouTube) explaining how soap works and how it kills viruses like the coronavirus (using lollipops and an orange). 🍭🍊⁣
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Hint: it doesn't really have anything to do with that awesome pepper and water demo (swipe 👉🏼).⁣
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This fun demo just shows that soap is a surfactant, which means that it reduces surface tension, which means that it makes the bonds between water molecules at the surface weaker. ⁣
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So the surface tension is weakened in the center of the plate, but still strong along the circumference. Those molecules are still grabbing at the ones next to them an toward the center of the plate. So the molecules in the center are being pulled radially outward. The pepper is just riding that wave 🌊.⁣ Anyway, the coronavirus is destroyed for a different reason, which I explain in the video 🦠
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Link in bio 🚀#stayathomescience

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## Tags

stayathomescience

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