Sodium hydroxide

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sodium-hydroxide

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical formula?NaOH
2. What is the common names?Lye, caustic soda
3. Why is sodium hydroxide called lye?Lye is an old name for a liquid made from sodium hydroxide. People used it for cleaning and making soap for many years.
4. How does sodium hydroxide help make soap?When sodium hydroxide mixes with fats, it turns them into soap and glycerin. This process is called saponification.

Hygroscopic: Tending to absorb moisture from the air.
Saponification: The process of making soap by reacting fats or oils with a strong alkali.
Chlor-alkali process: An industrial process for the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution to produce chlorine, hydrogen, and sodium hydroxide.
Denature: To alter the natural structure of a protein or other complex molecule, typically by heat or chemical action.