Why does saponification produce a salt

Write your answer Related questions. Why is product of saponification a salt? Why is a salt solution used in saponification?

When fats reacts with sodium hydroxide they form? Why is the product of saponification a salt? What are the by-product of saponification of fats and oils? Why does adding a salt solution to the saponification mixture cause the salt to precipitate? In which reaction is soap a product? How does saponification relate to organic chemistry?

What is saponification reaction? How can you separate the glycerol produced in saponification? What chemical process is called saponification?

What is a product of both fermentation reactions and saponification reactions? Base hydrolysis of an ester is called? Reaction between methyl salicylate and sodium hydroxide? What reaction of fat with NaOH? What is an ionic product of an acid-base reaction called? What is the product that is left after heating a hydrate? What is the difference between saponification value and saponification number? Equation for the saponification of ethyl benzoate? How does chemical reaction occur in soap making?

What happens when fatty acid reacts wi NaOH? The glycerol turns back into an alcohol addition of the green H's.

The fatty acid portion is turned into a salt because of the presence of a basic solution of the NaOH. In the carboxyl group, one oxygen red now has a negative charge that attracts the positive sodium ion.

The type of fatty acid and length of the carbon chain determines the unique properties of various soaps. Tallow or animal fats give primarily sodium stearate 18 carbons a very hard, insoluble soap. Fatty acids with longer chains are even more insoluble. As a matter of fact, zinc stearate is used in talcum powders because it is water repellent. Coconut oil is a source of lauric acid 12 carbons which can be made into sodium laurate. This soap is very soluble and will lather easily even in sea water.

Fatty acids with only 10 or fewer carbons are not used in soaps because they irritate the skin and have objectionable odors. The cleansing action of soap is determined by its polar and non-polar structures in conjunction with an application of solubility principles. The long hydrocarbon chain is of course non-polar and hydrophobic repelled by water. Share Flipboard Email. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert.

Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated January 08, Key Takeaways: Saponification Saponification is the name of the chemical reaction that produces soap. In the process, animal or vegetable fat is converted into soap a fatty acid and alcohol. The reaction requires a solution of an alkali e. The reaction is used commercially to make soap, lubricants, and fire extinguishers.

Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph. Saponification Definition and Reaction. Fatty acids are straight-chain monocarboxylic acids. The most common fatty acids range in size from carbons and most often have an even number of carbon atoms including the carboxyl group carbon. The carbon-carbon bonds in saturated fatty acids are all single bonds, while unsaturated fatty acids have one or more carbon-carbon double bonds in their chains.

Fatty acids are seldom found as free molecules in nature but are most often a part of a larger molecule called a triglyceride. Triglycerides consist of a three-membered carbon chain glycerol backbone with a fatty acid bonded to each of the three carbon atoms in the glycerol backbone. The bond between the fatty acid and the glycerol backbone is referred to as an ester linkage.

In the saponification process the ester linkage is broken to form glycerol and soap. Figure 1. Caution: Oil will be hot, and may splatter or catch fire.