Final answer:
Reacting vegetable oil with potassium hydroxide (KOH) initiates a saponification reaction, producing glycerol and potassium salts of fatty acids, which are the components of soap.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you react vegetable oil with potassium hydroxide (KOH), you typically undergo a process called saponification.
- This reaction transforms the triglycerides present in vegetable oils into glycerol and potassium salts of fatty acids, which are essentially soap.
- The specific chemical species you'll find at the end are glycerol, which is a type of alcohol, and the potassium salts of whatever fatty acids were present in the oil.
- This is a fundamental process in the production of soap from natural oils.