What is the acid or base present in soap?
Answers
What are Acids and Bases?
An acid is any hydrogen-containing substance that is capable of donating a proton (hydrogen ion) to another substance. A base is a molecule or ion able to accept a hydrogen ion from an acid.
Acidic substances are usually identified by their sour taste. An acid is basically a molecule which can donate an H+ ion and can remain energetically favourable after a loss of H+. Acids are known to turn blue litmus red.
Bases, on the other hand, are characterized by a bitter taste and a slippery texture. A base that can be dissolved in water is referred to as an alkali. When these substances chemically react with acids, they yield salts. Bases are known to turn red litmus blue.
In our everyday lives, we use many compounds which scientists call acids. The orange or grapefruit juice you drink for breakfast contains citric acid (also known as Vitamin C). When milk turns sour, it contains lactic acid. The vinegar used in salad dressing contains acetic acid. According to this a chemical bond is considered as being made up of an acid-base combination. The properties of a molecule, therefore, can be understood by dividing it into acid and base fragments.
Soap is a combination of a weak acid (fatty acids) and a strong base (lye), which results in what is known as “alkali salt,” or a salt that is basic on the pH scale.