Measure 25 ml of coconut oil using a measuring cylinder.
Pour the oil into a glass beaker.
Add NaOH Solution
Use another measuring cylinder to measure 30 ml of 20% NaOH solution.
Pour the NaOH solution into the beaker containing coconut oil.
Stir the mixture vigorously with a glass rod.
Observe Exothermic Reaction
Touch the beaker from the outside to feel the warmth.
The warmth indicates an exothermic reaction between coconut oil and sodium hydroxide.
Heating and Forming Soap
Heat the Mixture
Place the beaker on a Bunsen burner.
Continue heating until the mixture turns into a whitish paste.
The mixture will contain soap in suspension form and glycerol.
Cool the Mixture
Remove the beaker from the flame and let it cool.
Testing and Precipitating Soap
Test with Litmus Paper
Dip red litmus paper into the suspension; it turns blue indicating a basic solution.
Dip blue litmus paper into the suspension; it remains unchanged indicating no acidity.
Precipitate Soap
Add 15 grams of common salt to the suspension.
Stir well with a glass rod.
Observe that soap precipitates as a solid.
Filtering and Forming Soap
Filter the Soap
Use filter paper fixed in a funnel to filter the mixture.
Pour the beaker contents over the glass rod into the funnel.
Soap remains on the filter paper.
Dry and Shape Soap
Remove the soap from the funnel with a spatula onto another filter paper.
Dry the soap by pressing it with another filter paper.
Cut the dried soap into desired shapes with a knife.
Conclusion
Soap is successfully prepared through the saponification process by an exothermic reaction of coconut oil and NaOH, followed by precipitation and filtration.