Lab# 9/2/15

Title: Organic Chemistry

Aim: To prepare a sample of soap utilizing the process of saponification

Apparatus and Materials: Large beaker, small beaker, test tube, Bunsen burner,
water, tripod stand, wire gauze, glass rod, measuring cylinder, electronic scale,
weighing boat, filter paper, funnel, sodium hydroxide, lard, ethanol, brine

DIAGRAM

Procedure:

1. Set up the water bath using a large beaker, tripod stand, wire gauze Bunsen
burner and water.
2. Measure 25cm3 of ethanol using a measuring cylinder and pour into a small
beaker
3. Measure 2g of sodium hydroxide using an electronic scale and weighing boat
4. Add the sodium hydroxide to the ethanol in a small beaker
5. Stir the mixture with the glass rod until all the sodium hydroxide has
dissolved
6. Measure 2cm3 of melted lard using the measuring cylinder and add it to the
solution containing the ethanol and dissolved sodium hydroxide.
7. Heat the mixture over a water bath and stir using a glass rod until the oily
layer disappears.
8. Add saturated brine solution to the contents of the small beaker till a
precipitate is formed.
9. Line the funnel with filter paper and place it into mouth of the measuring
cylinder.
10.Pour the contents of the small beaker into the funnel.
11.Scrape and collect the residue off the filter paper
12.Add the residue to a test tube

Observations

Write what you see

Did it foam and lather

Discussion: Saponification is a process that produces soap, usually from fats and
lye. Vegetable oils and animal fats are the main materials that are saponified. These
greasy materials, trimesters called triglycerides are mixtures derived from diverse
fatty acids.

Define saponification & the process

Include the formula that was on the board
Talk about why the ethanol was not heated directly
Talk about why brine was added to the solution
 Describe the structure of the soap molecule and how soap works chemically

Source of error

Contaminance is water may have reacted with the soap and compromise the
results

Saponification is a process by which triglycerides are reacted with sodium or

potassium hydroxide to produce glycerol and a fatty acid salt, called 'soap'.
Saponification is the alkaline hydrolysis of the fatty acid esters. This reaction
is catalyzed by a strong acid or base. Vegetable oils and animal fats are the
main materials that are saponified.