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Why do bases feel slippery?

Answer 1

They don't, in general. This observation really only applies to strong alkalis (water soluble bases) present at specific concentrations.

Your skin's natural fatty acids and oils can react with strong bases to produce what is essentially a soap, which is why your skin feels slippery. This process is called saponification.

However, this property only holds true for strong water soluble bases, such as alkalis; it does not apply to any substance that just so happens to be a base. Moreover, a high enough concentration is required for the reaction to take place.

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Answer 2

Jeremiah Adams

Bases feel slippery because they react with the natural oils on the skin to form soap, which has a slippery texture. This reaction is due to the alkaline nature of bases, which can disrupt the structure of oils and fats, leading to the slippery sensation.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.