1. Why does dissolving soap in water produce an alkaline solution? 2. Why is a m
ID: 516791 • Letter: 1
Question
1. Why does dissolving soap in water produce an alkaline solution?
2. Why is a mixture of alcohol and water used, rather than simply water itself, to saponify the fat or oil to produce soap?
3. Why is it impossible to calculate an exact theoretical yield of soap?
4. Explain the results of adding calcium and magnesium salts to a solution of your prepared soap. Explain what happened after the sodium phosphate or sodium carbonate was added.
5. Explain the results of adding dilute sulfuric acid to your soap and detergents solutions.
Explanation / Answer
1. Why does dissolving soap in water produce an alkaline solution?
Answer: soaps are sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. When dissolved in water, they form a weak acid and the strong base OH-. The resultant solution will be basic
2. Why is a mixture of alcohol and water used, rather than simply water itself, to saponify the fat or oil to produce soap?
Answer: Water and oil do not mix together and form a heterogeneous mixture. When ethanol is added to the mixture, it will mix completely and form a homogeneous solution.
3. Why is it impossible to calculate an exact theoretical yield of soap?
Answer: L for saponification reaction is not high. Therefore all the reactants will not turn into products, making it impossible to calculate the exact theoretical yield
4. Explain the results of adding calcium and magnesium salts to a solution of your prepared soap. Explain what happened after the sodium phosphate or sodium carbonate was added.
Answer: When calcium salt is added, the foam will increase and the color will charge in to purple. When magnesium salt is added, the foam will increase and the solution will turn cloudy. When the sodium carbonate is added, the foam decreases and the substance turns a white color
5. Explain the results of adding dilute sulfuric acid to your soap and detergents solutions.
Answer: If sulfuric acid is added to soap solution, the soap became acidic and cloudier. If sulfuric acid is added to the detergent solution, the solution becomes acidic, however, the appearance will not change
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