Making Soap: The Oldest Organic Reaction—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity

An ancient craft, soap-making is one of the oldest known chemical reactions of organic compounds. Soaps are sodium and potassium salts of fatty acids prepared by reacting fats and oils with a strong base. With the Making Soap: The Oldest Organic Reaction—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity, prepare soap and investigate its properties, such as pH, texture, emulsifying action and solubility in hard water.