Fatty acids are composed of a carboxylic acid head and a long carbon chain. The carbon chain is non-polar, while the carboxylic acid head is polar. A molecule with both a polar and non-polar parts is known as amphipathic. The word amphoteric means a molecule that can act as either an acid or a base. Finally, just as a fatty acid has both polar and non-polar ends, those same ends are also hydrophilic and hydrophobic, respectively.  

An amphipathic molecule has both polar and nonpolar domains. Long-chain fatty acids are examples of amphipathic molecules.

Soap and water will work, as urushiol is amphipathic, but the addition of sodium bicarbonate is more effective. Sodium bicarbonate is a weak base and will make the urushiol more polar - and therefore more water-soluble. 

Ammonia, NH₃, will be the most soluble in water simply because polar substances dissolve in polar solvents. This follows the principle that "like dissolves like." Ammonia and water are both polar due to the presence of lone pairs of electrons combined with a lack of geometrical symmetry (water is bent and ammonia is trigonal pyramidal).

Carbon dioxide and nitrogen are linear, negating any potential polarity. Methane is tetrahedral, and lacks any polarized bonds. Carbon trioxide is tigonal planar, negating polar interactions due to symmetry.

Electrolytes readily dissolve and ionize in water. The term "electrolyte" refers to a molecule that will produce ions in solution, and can be synonymous with "salt" in certain contexts, as well as acidic and basic compounds.

When dealing with solutions, it is helpful to remember that solubility depends on polarity and that "like dissolves like." Polar solutes (ionic salts) dissolve well in polar solvents (water); the same goes for nonpolar solutes and solvents.

Hydrophobic interactions are driven by the increase in entropy (not enthalpy) that water molecules achieve by excluding a nonpolar solute. In the hydrophobic effect, water initially forms cage-like structures called clathrates around the nonpolar solute, which is entropically unfavorable. However, entropy is regained when the water molecules exclude the solute and interact with each other in a disordered manner.

Cohesion is defined as attraction between the same type of molecule. Water attracts other water molecules because it is polar and has partial charges. This attraction means that water has strong intermolecular forces even at room temperature and more thermal energy is required to vaporize it. Adhesion involves the attraction of a substance with a container or surface.

The electrons around water are not symmetrically positioned; rather, they are distributed toward the oxygen atom, which is highly electronegative. Hence, water's two hydrogen atoms have a net positive charge. Nonetheless, the total charge on water is neutral, with electropositive and electronegative regions, rendering it polar. This polarity allows water molecules to hydrogen-bond with each other.

The important point here is that biological polymers are basically all condensation polymers. In the case of proteins, polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and nucleic acids (like DNA and RNA), synthesis occurs via a loss of a water molecule. Non-biological molecules can also be formed via condensation, such as nylon, which also often has water as its by-product. Polystyrene is an addition polymer; upon formation, monomers do not lose any molecules. Bonds are only rearranged. Although it may seem counterintuitive, the fact is that in nature, polymers do not typically form this way.