Soap is prepared by boiling caustic soda with
(1) Alcohol
(2) Kerosene oil
(3) Glycerine
(4) Fats
Answer: (4) The most basic kind of soap is made from caustic soda and animal fat. The two are heated together and then cooled. The process is called “saponification.” In technical terms, saponification involves base (usually caustic soda NaOH) hydrolysis of triglycerides, which are esters of fatty acids, to form the sodium salt of a carboxylate.
