CUET Preparation Today
Soap consists of |
Alkali salts of higher fatty acids Calcium carbonate, aluminum silicate and gypsum Sodium silicate and silicate of a base, like calcium or lead Sodium silicate and ammonium nitrate |
Alkali salts of higher fatty acids |
The correct answer is Option (1) → Alkali salts of higher fatty acids Soap is chemically defined as the alkali metal salt (usually sodium or potassium) of higher fatty acids (long-chain carboxylic acids, typically containing 12–18 carbon atoms, derived from fats or oils). The manufacturing process (saponification) involves reacting fats/oils (triglycerides) with a strong alkali like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH): Fat/Oil + NaOH → Soap (sodium salt of fatty acid) + Glycerol This produces the cleansing property due to the amphiphilic nature of the molecule (hydrophilic carboxylate head and hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail). |
