Certificate

This is to Certify that Master YASH G.DESAI of Class

Twelve has successfully completed his Investigatory
Project in Chemistry for All India Senior School Certificate
Examination (AISSCE) 2016 on the topic Study of Foaming
Capacity Of Soaps under my guidance.

Boards Roll No. 4637457

Date of Submission

Sign of Internal Examiner

Sign of External Examiner

Sign of the Principal

 Acknowledgement

I sincerely thank my Chemistry Teacher and Head

of the Chemistry Dept. Mr. S.K.Paul, who stayed
long hours after school to help us. Without his
support and guidance this project wouldn’t have
been completed. I thank him for providing us with
his laboratory and amenities.
I would also like to thank our Principal Mr. ANIL
MOHAN for giving us an opportunity to do this
project.
Contents
•Introduction
•Aim of the Experiment
•Materials Required
•Theory
•Details of Procedure
•Observations
•Conclusion
•Bibliography
Introduction
What is soap?
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid. Soaps are mainly used as
surfactants for washing, bathing, and cleaning, in textile spinning and are
important components of lubricants.

How are soaps made?

Soaps for cleansing are obtained by treating vegetable or animal oils and
fats with a strongly alkaline solution. Fats and oils are composed of
triglycerides; three molecules of fatty acids are attached to a single
molecule of glycerol.
The alkaline solution brings about a chemical reaction known
as saponification. In saponification, the fats are first hydrolyzed into free
fatty acids, which then combine with the alkali to form crude soap.
Glycerol (glycerin) is liberated and is either left in or washed out and
recovered as a useful byproduct.
Cleansing Action of Soap
The cleansing action of soap is determined by its polar and non-polar
structures. The long hydrocarbon chain is non-polar and hydrophobic
(repelled by water). The "salt" end of the soap molecule is ionic and
hydrophilic (water soluble).
When soap is added to water, the ionic-salt end of the molecule is
attracted to water and dissolved in it. The non-polar hydrocarbon end of
the soap molecule is repelled by water. When grease or oil (non-polar
hydrocarbons) are mixed with a soap- water solution, the soap molecules
work as a "bridge" between polar water molecules and non-polar oil
molecules.
The oil is a pure hydrocarbon so it is non-polar. The non-polar hydrocarbon
tail of the soap dissolves into the oil. That leaves the polar part of the
soap molecules sticking out of the oil droplets, the surface of each oil
droplet being negatively charged. As a result, the oil droplets repel each
other and remain suspended in solution. This is called an emulsion. It is
then washed away by a stream of water. The outside of the droplet is also
coated with a layer of water
Illustration

Oil
Hard water
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with
"soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through
deposits of limestone and chalk which are largely made up of calcium and
magnesium carbonates.

Effect of soap on Hard water

When soap is added to hard water (water that contains calcium Ca2+ and
magnesium Mg2+ ions), insoluble compounds are formed which appear as a
sticky scum. This scum leaves a deposit on clothes, skin, and hair. When
boiled, hard water leaves a deposit of calcium carbonate, CaCO3.
Calcium and magnesium ions react with Na2CO3 to produce insoluble
carbonates of higher fatty acids.

2C17H35COONa + Ca2+ (C17H35COO)2Ca + 2Na+

(Water soluble) (ppt)

2C17H35COONa + Mg2+ (C17H35COO)2Mg + 2Na+

Aim of the Experiment
To compare the foaming capacities of five different commercial soaps, and
thus rate them according to the amount of foam they produce.

Materials Required
•5 test tubes
•5 conical flasks (100 ml)
•Test tube stand
•Bunsen burner
•Stop watch.
•Burette and Titration Stand
•5 different samples of soap and distilled water
Theory
The foaming capacity of a soap sample depends upon the nature of soap and
its concentration. This can be compared for various samples of soaps by
taking the same concentration of solution and shaking them.
The foam is formed and the time taken for disappearances of foam in all
cases is compared. The lesser the time taken by a solution for the
disappearance of foam, the lower is its foaming capacity.

Procedure
•Five conical flasks (100 ml each) are taken and numbered 1 to 5.
•In each of these flasks equal amounts (say 5 gm) of the given samples of
soap shavings or granules are taken and 50 ml of distilled water is added.
•Each conical flask is heated few minutes to dissolve all the soap
completely.
•In a test-tube stand, five big clean and dry test tubes are taken and
numbered 1 to 5
(continue…)
•One ml of the five soap solution is then poured in the test tubes of
corresponding number.
•10 ml. of distilled water is then added to each test tube.
•Test tube no 1 is then shaken vigorously 5 times.
•The foam would be formed in the empty space above the container. Stop
watch is started immediately and the time taken for the disappearance of
foam is noted.
•Similarly the other test tubes are shaken vigorously for equal number of
times (i.e., 5 times) with approximately with the same force and the time
taken for the disappearance of foam in each case is recorded.

Observation
•Amount of each soap sample taken = 1 gm
•Amount of distilled water taken = 25 ml
•Volume of each soap solution taken = 1 ml
•Volume of distilled water added = 10 ml

(continue…)
 Observation table
Sr. No. Soap Sample Time taken
(seconds)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Conclusion
The soap for which the time taken for the disappearance of foam is
highest has maximum foaming capacity and is the best quality soap among
the soaps tested.
•The highest time taken for the disappearance of soap is:
•Name of the soap :
 Bibliography
•Comprehensive practical Chemistry- Class 12.
•Study of Soaps by www.niton.com
• www.icbse.com
• Wikipedia