Discussion: Saponification is the process in which fats and oils are hydrolysed by boiling with

concentrated sodium hydroxide; this process is used to make soap. The equation used to define
saponification is Fat/oil + Sodium hydroxide  Sodium salt of organic acid (soap) + Glycerol. The
specific fat used in this lab was coconut oil, which is rich in saturated fatty acids. Sodium hydroxide
was chosen as the base due to its strong reactivity and ability to facilitate the saponification reaction
effectively. The 1st steps of this lab included the adding of the coconut oil and NaOH to the same
beaker where they were vigorously stirred to ensure homogeneity. The mixture was then heated
over a Bunsen burner to increase the rate of the saponification process. After cooling 15g of NaCl
was added to the mixture, the purpose of the NaCl is to help separate the soap from the aqueous
solution. The soap was then separated from the aqueous solution via filtration, in our lab this
process took a long time. The residue left was the soap which was dried and cut into shapes. The
saponification reaction between coconut oil and sodium hydroxide resulted in the formation of
sodium laurate, which is the sodium salt of lauric acid (present in coconut oil). The appearance of the
soap depended on various factors such as the ratio of coconut oil to sodium hydroxide and the
length of time left on the Bunsen burner. This could have caused the soap to be creamier. The
equation for this lab would have been:

CeH(C13COO)3 + 3NaOH  C3H5(OH)3 + 3NaC13COO.

Coconut oil + Sodium hydroxide  Glycerol + Sodium Laurate

Sources of Error: 1) Reaction could have been removed from the Bunsen burner too quickly.

2) Incorrect measure of volumes

Limitation: 1) Concentration of Sodium hydroxide

2) Ratio of coconut oil to sodium hydroxide

Reflection: I found this lab to be enjoyable as we were able to learn about the process of making
soap, but I was slightly disappointed in the results as the soaps came out extremely creamy. This
understanding of saponification can be used in the real world by Cosmetic companies to make soap
and cleaning companies to create detergents.

Conclusion: A sample of soap was successfully created using the process of saponificiation