Question

Alkali salt of palmitic acid is known as

• A. an alkoxide
• B. an ester
• C. a soap
• D. an epoxide

Hint:

Soaps are salts of fatty acids like palmitic acid. When fatty acids react with alkali, they form soap, a key ingredient in cleaning products.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the chemistry of palmitic acid.
Palmitic acid is a saturated fatty acid, and its alkali salt (when reacted with an alkali like sodium hydroxide) forms a soap. This is because soaps are typically the salts of fatty acids.
Step 2: Explanation of other options.
- An alkoxide refers to a compound with an oxygen anion bonded to an alkyl group, which is not the case for palmitic acid salts. - An ester would be formed if a fatty acid reacted with an alcohol, but that is not the case here. - An epoxide involves a three-membered cyclic ether, which is unrelated to palmitic acid.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{A soap}} \]