Solutions

Organic Functional Groups

Solutions

Above a critical concentration, long, straight chain carboxylate salts, called soaps, derived from fatty acids, form a colloidal dispersion of spherical aggregates in water with the hydrophilic carboxylate groups on the outside and the lipophilic hydrocarbon chains toward the interior.

If you have kids, be sure to tell them to mix the fatty acid salt with water and form a colloidal dispersion of spherical aggregates on their hands before dinner!

Soaps are formed by reacting a triglyceride with a strong Arrhenius base (hydroxide donor) to form carboxylate salts.