ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LAB: SAPONIFICATION REACTION (MAKING SOAP)

Samples of synthesized soaps: Colorful!

INTRODUCTION:

In this lab, you will prepare soap using olive oil and sodium hydroxide by the process of saponification.
Saponification involves the basic hydrolysis of triglycerides which are esters of fatty acids to form sodium
salt of the carboxylic acid and glycerol. This requires precise and accurate measurements of the oil and
the sodium hydroxide. The process involves dissolving the NaOH in water (exothermic reaction-releases
energy) and the oil is heated on a hotplate. Fragrances are added and the soap should be left to stand as
the pH decreases over several days. Sodium hydroxide usually produces hard soap compared to KOH,
which produces soft soap.
Note:
 A printed formal lab report is due after a week to allow pH readings for several days.
 A rubric is included in the lab handout; please include the rubric with the lab report
 Results are shared but do complete your own lab report; not with your partner
 Hand in the lab report on time.

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to make soap using sodium hydroxide solution and olive oil through
the process of saponification. This will help you to experience the basic hydrolysis of esters as well as to
determine some of the soap properties.

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Materials needed:
Olive oil (100 mL)
Sodium hydroxide (14.0 g)
Distilled water (46 mL)
Crayon (1/2 piece)
Stirring rods
pH paper
250 mL beakers
100 mL beaker
100 mL graduated cylinder
50 mL graduated cylinder
Thermometer
Goggles & gloves
Hot plate
Plastic or Styrofoam cup
Fragrance

Safety:
 Wear safety goggles, gloves and lab apron.
 NaOH will burn the skin and the eyes.
 Wash any NaOH splashed on the skin/eyes.
 Work with the groups assigned by the teacher.

Procedure
1. Measure 100 mL of olive oil into the 250 mL beaker
2. Measure 14 g of NaOH into a 100 mL beaker and set it aside until step 6.
3. Add half a piece of crayon to the oil to colour the soap (choose your favorite color).
4. Place the oil on a hot plate and heat to 75 0C while stirring carefully with a glass rod to mix the
crayon. Do not use the thermometer to stir the oil. To take the temperature, suspend the
thermometer at the center of the liquid oil. Remove the thermometer from the beaker after each
reading when the oil is on the hot plate.
5. At 75 oC, remove the oil from the hot plate and allow it to cool to 55 0C.
6. As you wait for the oil to cool down, prepare NaOH solution by adding 46.0 mL of cold distilled
water to the NaOH slowly and stir until the NaOH dissolves

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 Caution must be observed as the concentrated sodium hydroxide (lye) is corrosive and can cause
burns to skin, destruction of clothing and irreversible cornea damage to the eye. At no time are
your safety glasses/goggles to be removed during this experiment.
7. Measure the temperature of NaOH and allow it to cool down to 40 0C. NaOH may take a while to
cool down; you can place it in a beaker of cold water.
8. When the oil is at 55 0C and NaOH at 40 0C, carefully pour the NaOH solution in a thin stream into
the oil while steadily stirring the mixture.
9. Continue stirring the mixture for 10 – 20 minutes (add a few drops of the fragrance) until an
emulsion is formed and the soap becomes as thick as honey.
10. Quickly pour the soap into a plastic/Styrofoam cup and write the team names on it. Place it in a
drawer to allow the completion of the reaction.
11. Test the pH by wetting the pH paper and touching the soap then record the reading. Allow the
soap to stand for 24 hours.
12. After 24 hrs, test the pH of the soap each day for several days until the pH is between 8 and 9.
13. Test its washing ability by washing your hands when the pH is around 8 or 9.
14. Record all the observations on the table below:

Observation

Procedure Observation
Addition of 46 mL of cold distilled water to 14 Exothermic reaction took place in a beaker and the
g of NaOH temperature increased to 60 Celsius.
Addition of the NaOH solution in a thin It immediately caused thickening of solution of NaOH and
stream into the oil followed by stirring heated oil. Also it changed a bit color and got a bit darker
Pouring the mixture into the plastic/ It immediately caused thickening of solution of NaOH
Styrofoam cup when it is as thick as honey and heated oil.
Testing the washing ability of the soap It is defenetly working, has a cleaning effect. Overall I
would change the shape so it be much mor effective.

PH level of the soap:

Hours pH Level
0 12
24 11
48 11
168 10
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Analysis questions: (8 Marks)

1. What is saponification?
Saponification is a chemical reaction in which ester is being heated with alkali. In our case we
have an example when solution of NaOH is being added in heated olive oil. Which leads us to
creating soap. Generally ester reacts with inorganic base to produce alcohol and soap. It occurs
when triglycerides re reacting with sodium hydroxide (in some cases potassium) to produce
glycerol and fatty acid salt which is salt.
2. How does soap help oil to dissolve in water?
In normal situation water and oil do not mix and separate in two different layers. Soap baciacally
breaks oil in smaller drops. Therefore, those drops are able to mix with water and as a
consequence dissolve in water.
3. Explain the cleansing action of soap using a diagram of soap micelles.
Basically, hydrophobic tail is connected to the oil and hydrophobic head is connected to water.
They trap the grease inside and by that action soap is cleaning.

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 4. Write an equation showing the reaction of the fat with sodium hydroxide to produce the soap
sodium stearate
Fat + Sodium Hydroxide saponification Grycerol + a crude oi.

5. Show the products of acid-catalyzed and base-catalyzed hydrolysis for this fat molecule: (2 marks)

6. What is trans-esterification process? Include an equation. (2 marks)

It is a process in which fats or oil react with alcohol and forming esters and glycerol. A catalyst is used to
speed up the reaction and yield.

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LABORATORY RUBRIC CHEMISTRY: INQUIRY: TOTAL MARKS: /35

WORK NEEDED SATISFACTORY GOOD EXCELLENT

0 1 2 3
No introduction is An introduction is Good introduction Correct introduction for the
Introduction present made but has little but not complete experiment with chemical
relation equations
Identifies purpose No purpose Identifies part of Identifies the The focus of the
present the purpose purpose generally experiment is clearly and
precisely defined in a
purpose
Materials and No list of materials A few of materials Most of materials Complete list of materials
Apparatus and apparatus are and apparatus used and apparatus used and apparatus used
provided provided provided provided
Procedure - Not written in the - Some written up - Most written up in - All written up in the past
past tense passive in the past tense the past tense tense passive
- Spelling, passive passive
grammar, S.I. usage - Spelling, - Spelling, grammar, - Spelling, grammar, S.I.
are mostly grammar, S.I. usage S.I. usage are usage are correct in all or
incorrect are correct in some correct in most almost all cases
- Procedure not in cases cases
numbered steps - Procedure in - Procedure in - Procedure in numbered
numbered steps numbered steps steps

Observations Tables require Tables require Tables are Tables are appropriate,
major correction minor correction appropriate, correct, detailed and easily
and are incomplete and partially correct and legible understood with all info
complete
Discussion of Identifies few Identifies some Identifies most Identifies both obvious and
results patterns or trends obvious patterns patterns and trends subtle patterns and trends
and trends
Error analysis Does not analyze Evaluates some Identifies most - Evaluates thoroughly all
possible sources of sources or error or errors and sources of error and
error limitations to the limitations; few limitations
lab improvements - Suggests improvements
to the method
Conclusions -No conclusions - Conclusions only - Conclusions are - Conclusions are
present repeat the purpose supported by some supported fully by
- A statement is observations & observations found during
- Conclusion does included to show relate back to experiment
not support the purpose with purpose - Conclusions relate back to
observations no observations purpose with support from
observations
Use of scientific Uses few accurate Uses some Uses correct Uses terminology and units
terminology terms and units accurate terminology and with accuracy and precision
terminology and units
units
Analysis questions: /8
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Sample Formal Lab Report: Soap Preparation Experiment
Introduction
(The intro will vary depending on the student but should have the definitions plus the equation for the
reaction)
It lab practical we are attempting saponification. We will be trying to create sopa using trans-
esterification process. Our olive oil will be reacting with solution of sodium hydroxide. That will be a
cause of saponification reaction.

When the saponification reaction will take place HaOH will react with oil and as a result will be Propane-
1,2,3-triol or glycerol and Sodium srearate (soap).
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment is to make soap using sodium hydroxide solution and olive oil through
the process of saponification. This will help you to experience the basic hydrolysis of esters as well as to
determine some of the soap properties.

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Materials
Olive oil (100 mL)
Sodium hydroxide (14.0 g)

Distilled water (46 mL)

Crayon (1/2 piece)
Stirring rods
pH paper
250 mL beakers
100 mL beaker
100 mL graduated cylinder

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 50 mL graduated cylinder
Thermometer
Goggles & gloves
Hot plate
Plastic or Styrofoam cup
Fragrance

Procedure
1. 100 ml of olive oil was measured into the 250 ml beaker
2. 14g of NaOH was measured into a 100ml beaker and set aside until step 6
3. Half of pink crayon was added to the oil to colour the soap
4. Oil was placed to a hot plate to heat it till 75 0C and was steared carefully with a glass rod to mix
the crayon. To measure the temperature thermometer was placed in the center of the oil and
taken out when it was measured.
5. When oil reached 750C it was removed from the hot plate to allow it to cool to 550C
6. As the oil is colling down, to prepare NaOH solution 46ml was slowly added to the NaOH and
slowly stirred till NaOH dissolves.
7. Temperature of NaOH was measured and was 700C, after it was colled down to 400C by placing
the beaker into cold water.
8. When oil was at 550C and NaOH was 400C, oil was transported in a cup and NaOH was slowly
added to oil and steadily steered slowly.
9. Continue stirring the mixture for 10 – 20 minutes (add a few drops of the fragrance) until an
emulsion is formed and the soap becomes as thick as honey. Mixture was steered till it become
thick as honey. That tool around 15 minutes. Also a few drops of fregnance was added.
10. Names were written on the cup and the cup was plced into the drawer to allow it to complete the
reaction.
11. Washing abilities were tested after a week when the PH was 10.

Observations
Procedure Observation
Addition of 46 mL of cold distilled water to 14 Exothermic reaction took place in a beaker and the
g of NaOH temperature increased to 60 Celsius.
Addition of the NaOH solution in a thin It immediately caused thickening of solution of NaOH and
stream into the oil followed by stirring heated oil. Also it changed a bit color and got a bit darker
Pouring the mixture into the plastic/ It immediately caused thickening of solution of NaOH
Styrofoam cup when it is as thick as honey and heated oil.

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 Testing the washing ability of the soap It is defenetly working, has a cleaning effect. Overall I
would change the shape so it be much mor effective.

PH level of the soap:

Hours pH Level
0 12
24 11
48 11
168 10

Discussion
Oil was heated (in was added half of a pink crayon for the color) while it was slowly steered. While my
teammate was working with Sodium Hydroxide by measuring 14g of it. The temperature of the oil was
constantly measured since it had to reach 750C. When oil reached 750C, the heater was turned off and
oil has taken off from the plate and let cool to 550C. When cold water was added to sodium hydroxide
temperature rapidly increased to 800C and it took a while to let it cool. Therefore, the beaker was put in
cold water to allow it to cool faster. Solution of NaOH reached 450C it was slowly added to oil that was
cooled to 550C. It was mixed till it got thick as honey. After it was placed in a drawer to let complete the
reaction. Saponification reaction took place when solution of NaOH was added to the oil. Bassically oil is
our ester and solution of NaOH is a inorganic base
Sources of Experimental Error
Oil and solution of NaOH was mixed in the plastic cup not in a beaker. Next time perhaps read the
instructions carefully.
Conclusion
Overall during this experiment, I acquired a lot of new knowledge and I understood more than I
understand in the normal class. I learned types of reactions, but the most important is I learned how
and where to use that reaction in real life. Additionally, I learned that I'm more practical learned than
theoretical.

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