What is the chemical formula of soapification?
Answer.
The chemical formula for the process of saponification, which produces soap, involves the reaction of a fat or oil with an alkaline substance, typically sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for solid soap or potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap.
\[ \text{Fat or Oil} + \text{Alkaline Substance} \rightarrow \text{Soap} + \text{Glycerol} \]
For a specific example, if we consider the saponification of a triglyceride (fat), such as olive oil, with sodium hydroxide, the reaction would be:
\[ \text{C}_{3}\text{H}_{5}(\text{COO})_{3}\text{H} + 3\text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{C}_{3}\text{H}_{5}(\text{COO})_{3}\text{Na} + 3\text{CH}_{2}(\text{OH})\text{CHOH} \]
The soap formed is a sodium salt of the fatty acid, and glycerol is a byproduct.
