Question

What is meant by soap ? Write its preparation.Answer the given question.

Answer 1

Soaps are sodium and potassium salts of long chain fatty acids containing 12 to 18 carbon atoms.Soaps are denoted by the general formula RCOO-Na+, where R denotes any long chain alkyl group containing 12 to 18 carbon atoms.






•preparation

Soaps are prepared by saponification reaction. Soaps are basically sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acid such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid etc. On a commercial scale, the soapsare manufactured by heating fat with sodium hydroxide solution. Fats are nothing but triesters of glycerol and fatty acids.

Glycerol is an organic compound containing three carbon atoms and an OH group attached to each carbon atom, whilefatty acids are long chain carboxylic acids.For example

Answer 2

Soaps are sodium and potassium salts of long chain fatty acids containing 12 to 18 carbon atoms.Soaps are denoted by the general formula RCOO-Na+, where R denotes any long chain alkyl group containing 12 to 18 carbon atoms.