Correct Answer: Surfactants help disinfectants work better by reducing surface tension.
Step 1: Understand what surfactants are. Surfactants are substances that lower the surface tension between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid.
Step 2: Know that disinfectants are chemicals used to kill or inactivate harmful microorganisms.
Step 3: Learn that when disinfectants are applied to surfaces, they need to reach and contact the microbes to be effective.
Step 4: Realize that surfactants help by breaking down barriers (like surface tension) that might prevent disinfectants from reaching the microbes.
Step 5: Conclude that by reducing surface tension, surfactants allow disinfectants to spread more easily and make better contact with the germs, enhancing their effectiveness.
