TO STUDY THE FOAMING CAPACITY OF

SOAPS
INTRODUCTION:
Soaps are sodium or potassium salts of higher
fatty acids. The higher fatty acids may be such
as stearic acid (C17H35COOH) palmitic acid
(C15H31COOH). ! soap molecule has a lipophilic
(oil soluble) part a"d a hydrophilic (#ater
soluble) part. Soaps are used for #ashi"g
purposes. $he" soap is sha%e" #ith #ater it
produces foam #hich is respo"sible for remo&al
of dirt. ! soap #hich produces more foam is
more effecti&e i" clea"si"g. The clea"si"g actio"
of soap ca" be e'plai"ed %eepi"g i" mi"d that a
soap molecule co"tai"s a "o"(polar lipophilic
group a"d a polar hydrophilic group. The dirt is
held o" the surface of clothes by the oil or
grease #hich is prese"t there. $he" soap is
applied the "o"(polar al%yl group dissol&es i"
oil droplets #hile the polar COO()a
*
group
remai"s dissol&ed i" #ater. +" this #ay each oil
droplet is surrou"ded by "egati&e charge. These
"egati&ely charged oil droplets ca""ot coalesce
a"d a stable emulsio" is formed. These oil
droplets co"tai"i"g dirt particles ca" be #ashed
a#ay #ith #ater. $ashi"g or clea"si"g capacity
of soap decreases i" hard #ater. Hard #ater
co"tai"s Ca
,*
a"d -g
,*
io"s #hich i"teract #ith
soap to form curdy precipitate of calcium a"d
mag"esium salts of higher fatty acids.
2C
17
H
35
COONa + Ca
2+
= (C
17
H
35
COO)
2
Ca + 2Na
+
2C
17
H
35
COONa + Mg
2+
= (C
17
H
35
COO)
2
Mg + 2Na
+
The hard"ess of #ater ca" be remo&ed by
addi"g #ashi"g soda ()a
,
CO
3
) #hereby Ca
,*
a"d -g
,*
io"s get precipitated as their
carbo"ates.
Ca
2+
+ Na
2
CO
3
= CaCO
3
+ 2Na
Mg
2+
+ Na
2
CO
3
= MgCO
3
+ 2Na
./01+./-/)TS2
133 ml co"ical flas%s #ith cor%s ,3 ml test(
tubes 133 ml measuri"g cyli"der 53 m4
measuri"g cyli"der test(tube sta"d #eight bo'
a"d stop(#atch 5iffere"t samples of soaps
distilled #ater.

TH/O.62
There is "o 7ua"titati&e method for the
determi"atio" of foami"g capacity of soap.
Ho#e&er the foami"g capacity of differe"t
soaps ca" be compared 7ualitati&ely by the
follo#i"g #ay.
Solutio"s of differe"t soaps are prepared by
dissol&i"g their e7ual #eights i" e7ual &olumes
of distilled #ater. These solutio"s are sha%e"
&igorously to produce foam a"d the" they are
allo#ed to sta"d. Time ta%e" for the
disappeara"ce of foam is measured for differe"t
samples. 4o"ger the time ta%e" for the
disappeara"ce of foam i" a gi&e" sample of
soap greater is its foami"g capacity.
8.OC/51./2
1. $eigh 3.5 g of each of the differe"t samples
of soap pro&ided to you.
,. 5issol&e each of these #eighed samples i" 53
ml of distilled #ater separately i" differe"t
co"ical flas%s. 4abel the solutio" obtai"ed as 1
, 3 9....
3. Ta%e ,3 m4 test(tubes (e7ual to the "o. of soap
samples to be tested) a"d add 13m4 distilled #ater
to each of them. The" add 1ml of differe"t soap
solutio"s separately i" differe"t test(tubes a"d
correspo"di"gly mar% the test(tubes as 1 , 3:
9. Cor% test(tube "o. 1 tightly a"d sha%e it
&igorously for 1 mi"ute. 8lace the tube i" test(
tube sta"d a"d start the stop(#atch immediately.
)ote time i" #hich the foam ;ust disappears.
5. Similarly "ote the time for the disappeara"ce
of foam i" the other test tubes a"d record the
obser&atio"s.
O<S/.=!T+O)S2
$eight of each soap sample ta%e" > 3.5g
=olume of distilled #ater ta%e" for
prepari"g solutio" of each sample > 53m4
Test tube "o. <ra"d "ame
of the soap
Time ta%e" for
disappeara"ce
of foam
1. 4u' 3333 s
,. 5o&e 3333 s
3. 8ears ,933 s
9. Cha"dri%a 1?33 s
./S14T2
The soap for #hich time ta%e" for the
disappeara"ce of foam is ma'imum has
ma'imum foami"g capacity a"d is the best
7uality soap amo"g the soaps tested.
EXPERIMENT 2
!+-2 To study the effect of sodium carbo"ate o"
the foami"g capacity of soaps.
./01+./-/)TS2
133ml co"ical flas%s #ith cor%s ,3ml test tubes
133ml measuri"g cyli"der 53ml measuri"g
cyli"der test tube sta"d #eight bo' stop #atch.
TH/O.62
Calcium @ mag"esium io"s prese"t i" the tap
#ater i"terfere i" the foami"g capacity of soap.
These io"s combi"e #ith soap @ form the
i"soluble salts #hich get precipitated. Therefore
i" the prese"ce of these io"s the foami"g
capacity of soap decreases.
$he" sodium carbo"ate is added to tap #ater
calcium @ mag"esium io"s get precipitated as
their carbo"ates. Therefore i" the prese"ce of
sodium carbo"ate foami"g capacity of #ater
i"creases.
8.OC/51./2
1. $eigh 3.5g of the gi&e" sample of soap a"d
dissol&e it i" 53ml of distilled #ater ta%e" i" a
co"ical flas%.
,. Ta%e three test tubes a"d label them as 1 , a"d
3. To the first tube add 13ml of distilled #ater to
the seco"d add 13ml of tap #ater a"d to the third
add 5ml of tap #ater a"d 5ml of -A13 sodium
carbo"ate solutio".
3. To each of the 3 test tubes add 1ml of soap
solutio".
9. Cor% test tube "o.1 tightly a"d sha%e
&igorously for 1mi"ute.place test tube i" test
tube sta"d @ start stop #atch immediately. )ote
time i" #hich the foam ;ust disappears.
5. )ote the time for the disappeara"ce of foam
i" the remai"i"g t#o test tubes a"d record the
obser&atio"s.
O<S/.=!T+O)S
$eight of soap ta%e" > 3.5g
=olume of distilled #ater ta%e" for
prepari"g solutio" > 53ml
Test tube "o. $ater used =olume of
soap
solutio"
Time ta%e" for
the
disappeara"ce
of foam
1. 13ml distilled
#ater
1ml ,133 s
,. 13ml tap #ater 1ml 333s
3. 5ml tap #ater *
5 ml -A13
)a
,
CO
3
1ml B33s

CO)C41S+O)S2
Coami"g capacity of soap is ma'imum i"
distilled #ater. The foami"g capacity of tap
#ater i"creases o" additio" of )a
,
CO
3
.