(b) salts of fatty acids
Soaps can be classified as salts of fatty acids. Soap is formed by the saponification reaction, which is the reaction of a fatty acid (usually a long-chain carboxylic acid) with an alkali (such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). The reaction results in the formation of a salt, which is the soap, and glycerol (glycerin) as a byproduct.
The general chemical formula of soap is RCOO-Na+, where R represents the long hydrocarbon chain of the fatty acid. The sodium ion (Na+) is the cation that balances the negatively charged carboxylate group (COO-) of the soap molecule.
