Surfactant
Imagine trying to get two groups of friends, who don't know each other well, to mingle at a party. This is similar to how surfactants, like soap, help water and oil mix by reducing the surface tension between them. Just as a good host introduces guests to each other, making them feel comfortable to interact, surfactants act as mediators, allowing different substances to blend that normally wouldn't mix easily.
Practice Version
Surfactant: Compounds, such as soap, that lower the surface tension between two liquids. Surfactant. A surfactant is a substance that helps liquids spread out more easily by reducing surface tension.