Pre-Lab Questions: 1. What is saponification and what are the chemical principles behind it? Saponification is a process that converts fats, oils, or lipids (the acid) into soap by combining them with sodium hydroxide (the base). The chemical principle include the process of hydrolyzing fats or triglycerides by combining them with a strong alkali in order to create the glycerol and potassium salts of them. 2. Why do we use vegetable oil or olive oil in soap-making? 3. What is the role of sodium hydroxide in this experiment? 4. How does soap help in cleaning? 5. Why do we use a soap mold or silicone baking tray in this experiment? Hypothesis