AY Honors/Soap Craft/Answer Key 2
Soap Craft
Approval authority:
Category:
Skill Level:
Year of Introduction:
Contents
1. What is soap?
2. What three ingredients are necessary used to make soap?
3. What is the difference between soap and detergent?
- A soap is a natural fatty substance (called fatty acids) which has been reacted with lye (sodium hydroxide).
- A detergent is any type of cleaner which does not contain a soap as its main ingredient.
4. What is the difference in toilet soaps and non-toilet soaps?
5. Name three uses of non-toilet soaps.
6. Discuss how toilet soaps work to clean.
7. Research the history and origin of soap. Answer the following questions:
a. What is the oldest record of soap?
b. In what context is soap mentioned in the Bible?
c. How did WWI affect soap production?
8. What is soap scum?
Scum is the substance which results from the reaction of the hardness mineral in water with common household soaps. Evident as a bath tub ring or on shower doors.
9. Carve an object from a bar of soap.
Here are some pathfinder soap carvings for examples.
You can buy multipacks of soap at reasonable prices at large "warehouse" type stores such as Costco or Sam's Club, or at large retailers such as Target or Walmart. Ivory soap works pretty well for this, though you may wish to check that none of your Pathfinders are allergic to it before you buy it.
Start by tracing the design onto the bar of soap, etching the lines lightly into the soap with a pointed stick or the tip of a knife. Instruct your Pathfinders on knife safety before handing out the knives:
- Do not draw the knife towards yourself - cut away from your body.
- Pick up a knife by its handle
- Be aware that folding knives can close when under pressure.
- Offer a knife's handle to another person when handing it to another person.
Once the design is etched into the soap, begin removing the soap that does not belong there. Do not remove huge chunks all at once or the soap may break. You can also use the knife to drill holes in the soap.
10. Decorate a bar of soap for a gift.
Soap can be decorated by attaching ribbons with pins. You can also use pins to attach photos (crop them first), pictures cut from magazines, buttons, doilies, etc. Be creative! Pay attention to the colors of the materials you attach to the soap compared to the color of the soap itself. Soap need not be carved before decorating, but it may help to cut any lettering (such as the brand's logo) off before attaching pictures.
If you have pictures to contribute, we'd love to add them to this chapter. Just click the "talk" link at the top of the page!
