Question

At CMC, the surfactant molecules undergo:

Options

• association

• aggregation

• micelle formation

• all of these

Answer 1

All of these

Explanation:

At the critical micelle concentration (CMC), surfactant molecules undergo association, aggregation, and micelle formation simultaneously. They aggregate to minimize contact between the hydrophobic tails and water, forming micelles, which are spherical aggregates of surfactant molecules. Thus, all the processes mentioned happen at CMC.