Soap Science Project

BACKGROUND:

The consumer products industry is one of the largest in the United States. One of the largest product categories within this industry is soap manufacturing and marketing. Each year companies such as Colgate Palmolive and Proctor & Gamble produce several billion dollars worth of soap products and employ scientific and technical workers to research and design new soap formulations. Soap products are essential to public health.

The soap molecule has a unique structure. It has a polar end, which attaches to water and dirt, and a non polar end, that attaches to oils and grease. Soap is made by mixing sodium hydroxide and water with lipids. Through a complex chemical reaction sodium hydroxide (a base) converts lipids (an acid) to soap. This process is called saponification. When lipids (acid) come into contact with the sodium hydroxide (base) the saponification process begins with the sodium hydroxide turning the lipid into a completely new substance that we know as soap.

OBJECTIVES:

Formulate a unique type of bar soap with specific chemical and physical properties such as hardness, color, scent and cleaning power.
Design and build a mold for making bar soap
Create a "company" and a brand name trademark and logo for the soap product.
Design a construct packaging for the soap product.
Write a script for and produce a 30 second "TV" comercial for the soap product.
Deliver a sales presentation incorporating the "TV commercial to an audience that will judge the effectiveness of your product.

GRADE DETERMINATION:

Physics

Create a unique chemical formula for a bar of soap. (10 points)

Follow all safety precautions when producing bar of soap in the lab. (10 points)

Submit a modified lab write up based on the lab on page 786 in the chemistry text book. (12 points.)

Write a script for a 30 second "TV" commercial for your product. (6 points)

Produce a 30 second "TV" commercial using a digital video camera. (6 points)

TEXT RESOURCES

Pages 784 – 786 in Chemistry – Matter and Change

WEB RESOURCES:

http://www.colebrothers.com/soap/

http://www.sdahq.org/cleaning/chemistry/