Question

Draw the remaining products of the saponification of the following triacylglycerol (triglyceride):

Answer 1

Saponification of a triacylglycerol results in glycerol and soap, the latter being the sodium salts of fatty acids. The base-promoted hydrolysis breaks the ester bonds in triglycerides, releasing glycerol and fatty acid salts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The saponification of a triacylglycerol (or triglyceride) results in the formation of glycerol and soap, which are the sodium salts of fatty acids. Saponification involves the base-promoted hydrolysis of triglycerides, an important chemical reaction where fats and oils are converted into glycerol and fatty acid salts, commonly done with a strong base such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH). When a triglyceride undergoes saponification, the ester bonds between the fatty acids and glycerol are broken by the base, leading to the formation of three molecules of fatty acid salts (soap) and one molecule of glycerol.

For example, the saponification of tripalmitin can be written as:

Triacylglycerol (tripalmitin) + 3NaOH (Base) → 3 Sodium palmitate (Soap) + Glycerol

This equation shows that tripalmitin, a simple triglyceride where all three fatty acids are palmitic acid, is converted into three molecules of sodium palmitate, which is a soap, and one molecule of glycerol. The chemical properties of fats and oils like hydrolysis, saponification, and hydrogenation are essential for understanding how substances such as soaps are created from natural fats and oils. In this case, the remaining products after the saponification would be the glycerol along with the salts of the fatty acids involved.

Answer 2

The products of the saponification reaction are shown in the image attached.

What is saponification?

Saponification is a chemical process in which an alkali (typically sodium or potassium hydroxide) transforms a fat or oil into soap and alcohol. Triglycerides, the building blocks of fats and oils, are made up of three fatty acid molecules joined to a glycerol molecule.

As the triglyceride and alkali react during saponification, glycerol and soap molecules are produced. Saponification has been widely used in the production of soap for cleaning purposes