Commercial soaps are mixtures of ionic compounds typically made up of monatomic cations, such as Na and K , and organic polyatomic anions derived from fatty acids. These negatively charged molecular ions are characterized by the presence of hydrocarbon chains which are 12 to 18 carbon atoms long. How hard (solid, insoluble) or soft (liquid, soluble) a soap is depends on the nature of the anions and cations present in the system. Analyze how each of the following factors may affect the hardness or softness of soaps: 1. The nature of the cations. For example, Na* vs Li* vs K.
2. The length of the hydrocarbon chain. For example, 12 carbons (laureate lon), 14 carbons (myristate lon), or 18 carbons (stearate lon).