Preparation of a soap

Lipid is the technical name for fats and oils. In this experiment we take castor oil and heat it up with sodium hydroxide solution. This causes the hydrolysis of the lipid, producing propane-1,2,3-triol (glycerol) and the sodium salt of the fatty acid, ricinoleic acid. Sodium salts of fatty acids are commonly used as soaps. This process of soap making is known as saponification. In the video we see the formation of a lather when the product is shaken with water. Try to write equations for the two chemical reactions that take place with the soap in the video. Ricinoleic acid has the formula, CH₃(CH₂)₅CH(OH)CH₂CH=CH(CH₂)₇COOH, but it is easier to write equations using the shorthand HRic to represent it. You can check your answer in the link below.