10th Chemistry : Soaps and Detergents [Carbon and Its Compound] SOAPS Metallic salts prepared from natural fats are called soaps. Soap is a sodium salt or potasium salt of long chain fatty acids that has cleansing action in water. Sodium stearate, sodium oliate and sodium palmitate are some examples of soaps. Stearic acid is a long chain fatty acid. Its formula is C 17 H 35 COOH. This reacts with sodium hydroxide to give a compound called sodium stearate, which has properties of soap. Similarly, sodium hydroxide reacts with oleic acid and palmitic acid forming sodium oleate (C 17 H 33 COONa) and sodium palmitate (C 17 H 31 COONa) respectively. Please Note! Fatty acids are organic compounds. The molecules of these compounds contain a carboxyl group {-COOH}. These molecules react with a trihydric alcohol called glycerol to form a class of compounds called esters. Groundnut oil, coconut oi...