What is soap? Explain the preparation of soap giving chemical equation.

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Solution

Soap is a sodium or potassium salt of a fatty acid(stearic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid). Sodium soap is present in washing soap, while potassium soap is present in bathing soap.
Preparation of soap:
On heating with sodium hydroxide, vegetable oil or animal fat forms a sodium salt of fatty acid and glycerol. This process is known as saponification.
vegetable oil or Animal fat $+$ Sodium hydroxide $S a p o n i f i c a t i o n ⟶ Δ$ Glycerol $+$ Sodium salt of fatty acid(Soap)

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