Solve Stoichiometry Help: Making a 405g Bar of Soap

In summary, to make a 405g bar of soap with no excess lard or lye, you would need 3.5kg of lard and 6kg of lye.
  • #1
thebestrbevr28
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Homework Statement


Saponification is the process by which soap is made. A triglyceride is reacted with NaOH to produce a carboxylic acid salt (the soap) and glycerol
Lard, mostly made of trioleic acid (TOA) is used with Lye (NaOH) in homemade variations
molar mass of TOA is 848g/mol
molar mass of resulting soap is 304g/mol


Homework Equations


TOA + 3NaOH --> 3 Soaps+ 3 glycerol

Question: if you want to make a 405g bar of soap with no excess lard or lye what amounts of lard and lye are needed.

The Attempt at a Solution



i have no idea how to do this problem. I know you start with 405g soap/1 to 1mol soap/(idk how much soap weighs per mol)
 
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  • #2
Firstly, you must realize that this question is a bit hypothetical since animal fats are saturated, unlike 'trioleic acid'. That would be tristearic acid in your nomenclature. An alternative nomenclature is to say 'triolein' for the glyceryl ester of oleic acid (olive oil) and 'tristearin' for the glyceryl ester of stearic acid (lard).

You are given the molar mass of the TOA and the resulting soap in the problem but I have no idea how those numbers were arrived at... perhaps thin air? The amount of soap produced from TOA is therefore given by a ratio of these two numbers multiplied by number. Can you take it from there?
 
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  • #3
BTW, The correct saponification reaction (not your problem, certainly) would be:

[tex]Triolein + 3NaOH \rightarrow\ 3 Na^+ ^-OOC-C_{17}H_{33} + 1 glycerol[/tex]

where the formula weight of triolein is 885.4 g/mol and the formula weight of the soap is 304.4.
 
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  • #4
a little more help

thanks alot
heres another wuestion i need help with

the fuel used to power booster rockets is represented in The balanced equation
3Al + 3NH4CIO4 ? Al2O3 + 3NO + 6H2O

if ____e5kg Aluminum reacts with an excess of ammonium perchlorate (say____e6kg) what is the mass of nitrogen vapor produced

im supposed to fill in the blanks with any numbers that i want but i don't know what "e5kg" and "e6kg" mean.
 

What is stoichiometry?

Stoichiometry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between reactants and products in a chemical reaction.

How is stoichiometry used in making soap?

Stoichiometry is used in making soap to determine the exact amounts of reactants needed to produce the desired amount of soap. It helps in calculating the mass of each ingredient and ensures that all reactants are completely used up in the reaction.

What is the process for making a 405g bar of soap?

The process for making a 405g bar of soap involves determining the chemical equation for the soap making reaction, calculating the amount of each reactant needed using stoichiometry, mixing the ingredients, and allowing the soap to cure before use.

What factors can affect the yield of soap production?

The yield of soap production can be affected by factors such as impurities in the reactants, incomplete reactions, and loss of product during the manufacturing process.

How can stoichiometry help improve the quality of soap?

Stoichiometry can help improve the quality of soap by ensuring that the reactants are used in the correct proportions to produce the desired product. It also helps in minimizing waste and ensuring a complete reaction, resulting in a higher yield of high-quality soap.

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