Final answer:
Extinguishing fire by forming an oxygen-excluding soapy foam is not called saponification, but rather aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Saponification is the hydrolysis of fats and oils with a base, producing glycerol and the salts of fatty acids, known as soaps.
Step-by-step explanation:
Extinguishing fire by forming an oxygen-excluding soapy foam is called saponification. This statement is False.
Saponification is actually a process in which esters, such as triglycerides found in fats and oils, are hydrolyzed with a base, such as sodium hydroxide, to produce glycerol and the salts of fatty acids, which are called soaps. Soaps act as surfactants that reduce the surface tension of water, allowing it to spread and extinguish the fire.
In contrast, forming an oxygen-excluding soapy foam to extinguish fire is known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). AFFF is made up of fluorinated surfactants that reduce the surface tension of water below that of fuel, allowing the foam to spread across the burning surface and smother the fire. This method is commonly used to fight large-scale fires of organic liquids.