NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16

Chemistry in Everyday Life

Question 1:
Why do we need to classify drugs in different ways?
Answer :
The reason for the drug’s classification is as follows:

(i) The pharmacological impact is based on

To physicians, this definition is helpful. It provides a whole array of drugs to classify drugs for different
diseases.

(ii) Based on the action on the drugs

This is based on a drug’s action on a specific biochemical process.

(iii) Building on chemical structure

The range of drugs that share common structural characteristics and have similar pharmacological activity.
(iv) Building on molecular objectives
Many medications have the same action function on targets. In such cases, this distinction is useful.
Question 2:
Explain the term, target molecules or drug targets, as used in medicinal chemistry.
Answer
The drug targets are the key molecule responsible for some metabolic pathways that can cause specific
diseases. The drug targets are proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids.
Chemical agents used to block those target molecules are called drugs by fusing with the active sites of key
molecules.
Question 3:
Name the macromolecules that are chosen as drug targets.
Answer
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids are the macromolecules selected as targets for the drugs.
Question 4:
Why should medicines not be taken without consulting doctors?
Answer
Medicines should not be taken without consulting a doctor because they can bind to more than one receptor
site. Thus it can be harmful to some receptor sites. Medicines, when taken in higher doses, can cause
harmful effects. So medicines can be poisonous.
Question 5:
Define the term chemotherapy.
Answer
 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals for medicinal effects. Sources are the use of chemical agents for
disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Question 6:
Which forces are involved in holding the drugs to the active site of enzymes?
Answer
The forces responsible are
(1) Hydrogen bonding
(2) Ionic bonding
(3) van der Waals force
(4) Dipole-dipole interaction
Question 7:
While antacids and antiallergic drugs interfere with the function of histamines, why do these not
interfere with the function of each other?
Answer
Certain drugs only affect specific receptors. Antacids and antiallergic drugs do not interfere, as they work on
different receptors. That is why antacids and antiallergic drugs interfere with histamine function but not with
each other.
Question 8:
A low level of noradrenaline is the cause of depression. What type of drugs are needed to cure this
problem? Name two drugs.
Answer
Antidepressant drugs are used to lessen the depression effect. These drugs contain enzymes that catalyse
the degradation of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. The neurotransmitter is, therefore, slowly
metabolised and can activate the receptor for a longer period of time.
The two anti-depressant drugs are
1. Phenelzine
2. Iproniazid
Question 9:
What is meant by the term ‘broad spectrum antibiotics’? Explain.
Answer
Antibiotics are known as broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are effective against a wide range of gram-
negative and gram-positive bacteria. E.g., Chloramphenicol.
This is used to treat acute fever, typhoid, meningitis, dysentery, tuberculosis and certain types of urinary
tract infections. The other 2 broad-spectrum antibiotics are vancomycin and ofloxacin. Amoxicillin and
ampicillin − synthetically derived from penicillin – are also antibiotics of broad-spectrum.
 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

Question 10:
How do antiseptics differ from disinfectants? Give one example of each.
Answer
Disinfectants and antiseptics against microorganisms are really successful. Antiseptics are used to treat
living tissues such as cuttings, wounds, diseased skin surfaces and ulcers, while disinfectants are used for
objects such as floors, drainage systems, instruments, etc. Disinfectants damage living tissues.
Iodine is a potent antiseptic. The iodine tincture is applied to wounds. One per cent phenol solution is used
as a disinfectant.
Question 11:
Why are cimetidine and ranitidine better antacids than sodium hydrogen carbonate or magnesium or
aluminium hydroxide?
Answer
The antacids that neutralise excess hydrochloric acid in the stomach are magnesium hydroxide, sodium
hydrogen carbonate, and aluminium hydroxide. However, the motive for releasing excess acid remains
untreated.
Cimetidine and ranitidine are good antacids because they control acidity cause. These drugs prevent
histamine from interacting with the receptors present in the walls of the stomach and can, therefore, reduce
the amount of acid released by the stomach.
Question 12:
Name a substance which can be used as an antiseptic as well as a disinfectant.
Answer
Phenol is a substance which can be used as an antiseptic and as a disinfectant. 0.2 per cent phenol solution
can be used as an antiseptic, and 1 per cent of the solution should be used as a disinfectant.
Question 13:
What are the main constituents of Dettol?
Answer

Dettol’s principal constituents are chloroxylenol and �−���������α−terpineol.

 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

Question 14:
What is a tincture of iodine? What is its use?
Answer
For alcohol-water mixtures, 2-3 per cent of iodine is referred to as iodine tincture and is primarily added to
wounds.
Question 15:
What are food preservatives?
Answer
Chemicals that prevent microbial growth are referred to as preservatives for food. They cut back on
spoilage. Some food preservatives are sugar, table salt, vegetable oil, propanoic acid salts and sodium
benzoate(C6H5COONa).
Question 16:
Why is the use of aspartame limited to cold foods and drinks?
Answer
Aspartame is not stable at cooking temperature, and therefore, its use is limited only to cold foods and
beverages.
Question 17:
What are artificial sweetening agents? Give two examples.
Answer
Those chemicals which sweeten food are called artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners don’t add calories
to our bodies and don’t hurt the human body, either. Some known artificial sweeteners are sucralose,
aspartame, alitame and saccharin.
Question 18:
Name the sweetening agent used in the preparation of sweets for a diabetic patient.
Answer
Saccharin, aspartame and alitame are sweetening agents used to prepare sweets for patients with diabetes.
 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

Question 19:
What problem arises in using alitame as an artificial sweetener?
Answer
Alitame is a sweetener of great potency. The sweetness of the food while using alitame as an artificial
sweetener is difficult to control.
Question 20:
How are synthetic detergents better than soaps?
Answer
Synthetic detergents are used in both soft water and hard water, while soaps are used in soft water. In hard
water, soaps aren’t effective. Synthetic detergents are, therefore, better than soaps.
Question 21:
Explain the following terms with suitable examples
(i) cationic detergents,
(ii) anionic detergents and
(iii) non-ionic detergents.
Answer
(i) Cationic detergents
Cationic detergents are commonly called quaternary ammonium salts of acetates, chlorides or bromides.
Cationic detergents are named as such because the cationic part of the aforementioned compound
detergents has an extended hydrocarbon chain and a positive charge on the N atom.
Example: Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

(ii) Anionic detergents

Type of anionic detergents are as follows:
1. Sodium alkyl sulfate detergents are simply long-chain sodium alcohol salts. They are made by using
concentrated sulphuric acid to react to such alcohol and subsequently by sodium hydroxide.
 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

2. Sodium alkylbenzene sulphonates: Sodium salts of long-chain alkyl benzene sulphonic acids are such
detergents. These are synthesised by benzene alkylation by Friedel-Crafts, along with alkyl halides or
alkenes with long chains. The resulting product initially reacts with concentrated sulphuric acid and
subsequently reacts with sodium hydroxide. Sodium 4-(1-dodecy) benzenesulfonate is an example of an
anionic detergent.
(iii) Non-ionic detergents
There are no ions in the molecules of those detergents. They are a good example of high-molecular-mass
alcohol esters. These are prepared by the stearic acid and polyethylene glycol reactions.

Question 22:
What are biodegradable and non-biodegradable detergents? Give one example of each.
Answer
Biodegradable detergents are Bacteria degrading detergents. They do have straight chains of hydrocarbons.
Sodium lauryl sulfate, for example.
The non-biodegradable detergents are detergents that bacteria can not degrade. Their hydrocarbon chains
are strongly branched.
For example, benzene sulphonate with sodium -4- (1, 3, 5, 7- tetramethyl octyl).
Question 23:
Why do soaps not work in hard water?
Answer
Sodium or potassium salts with long-chain fatty acids are present in soaps. Hard water contains magnesium
and calcium. When the ions displace sodium or potassium on dissolving soaps in hard water, insoluble
calcium or magnesium salts of fatty acids form. Separate those insoluble salts as scum.
This is why soaps do not work in harsh water.
 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

Question 24:
Can you use soaps and synthetic detergents to check the hardness of water?
Answer
Soaps will precipitate in hard water, but in soft water, they will not get precipitated and can, therefore, be
used to find the water’s hardness. On the other hand, synthetic detergents won’t get precipitated in both
hard water and soft water and can’t be used to find water hardness.
Question 25:
Explain the cleansing action of soaps.
Answer
The dirt present on clothes is organic in nature and insoluble in water. Therefore, it cannot be removed by
only washing with water. When soap is dissolved in water, its hydrophobic ends attach themselves to the dirt
and remove it from the cloth. Then the molecules of soap arrange themselves in micelle formation and trap
the dirt at the centre of the cluster. These micelles remain suspended in the water. The dust particles are
then easily rinsed away by water.

Question 26:
If the water contains dissolved calcium hydrogencarbonate, out of soaps and synthetic detergents,
which one will you use for cleaning clothes?
Answer
Synthetic detergents are commonly used for clothes washing. Such ions form insoluble salts when dissolved
in water containing calcium ions which are of no use. Synthetic detergents are dissolved in calcium ion-
containing water, such ions form soluble salts which act as cleaning agents.
Question 27:
Label the hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts in the following compounds.
 NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16
Chemistry in Everyday Life

Answer