When fat comes in contact with sodium hydroxide, it produces soap and glycerin. Determine whether this is a physical change or a chemical change. Explain your answer.

Question

Physics

Davenport

20 April, 19:15

When fat comes in contact with sodium hydroxide, it produces soap and glycerin. Determine whether this is a physical change or a chemical change. Explain your answer.

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Answers (2)

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Gunnar Rivera · Answer 1

A quick, easy way to decide whether there was a chemical change

is to look and see whether there are NEW substances after the

event, that weren't there when it started.

This particular scenario started out with fat and sodium hydroxide (lye).

And then, suddenly, POOF! Soap and glycerin showed up. Where did

THOSE come from? They came from the molecules in fat and lye,

getting broken up and recombined to make different substances.

THAT's exactly a chemical change.

Raymond Cruz · Answer 2

This is a chemical change because new substances are formed with different properties and identities.