Commercial Soaps are mixtures of ionic compounds made up of monoatomic cations, such as Na+ and K+, and polyatomic anions derived from fatty acids.

Commercial Soaps are mixtures of ionic compounds made up of monoatomic cations, such as Na+ and K+, and polyatomic anions derived from fatty acids. The polyatomic anions are hydrocarbon chains 12 to 18 carbon atoms long. How hard (solid, insoluble) or soft (liquid, soluble) a soap is depends on ions present in the system. 

1. Many soaps are ionic compounds made up of Na+ ions. How will the properties of these types of soaps differ from those made up of a) Li+ ions and b) K+ ions? (Justify your reasoning).

2. Many soaps are made up of a mixture of anions such as laureate ion (C12), the myristate ion (C14), and the stearate ion (C18). How will the proportion of each of these types of ions in the soap affect its properties? (Justify your reasoning).

3. Soaps may include different properties of stearate ions (saturated) and oleate ions (monounsaturated). How would you make a soap softer or harder by varying the proportion of these two types of polyatomic ions? (Justify your reasoning).