Saponification reactions are ancient. Traditionally, animal fat would be reacted with lye, a strong alkali or strong base made up of NaOH, and this would form an ionic compound of the sodium and the fatty acid derived from the fat. Soap has properties that allow it to both dissolve grease and to be soluble in water, allowing it to wash away grime, dirt and oily substances in running water.

a$.$ A common animal fatty acid is myristate, which has a chemical formula of C$14$H$28$O$2$ or CH$3($CH$2)12$COOH.

Draw the full Lewis structure of this fatty acid.

Now draw the abbreviated Lewis structure where the carbon atoms are vertices and the hydrogen atoms are invisible.

b$.$ Draw the Lewis structure of glycerol, CH$2$OHCHOHCH$2$OH $($also written as C$3$H$8$O$3),$ which is a product of some saponification reactions.