When art and science combine…

By Maria Zammit | Posted: Wednesday May 20, 2026

After completing an internal assessment for their Wānanga Day, Dr. Zammit’s Year 13 Chemistry class had the chance to use chemistry in a different context this week — we made soap!

Part of our most recent topic involved learning about the different types of organic molecules. Our lesson on soap-making was an application of a very specific reaction — namely the splitting of esters (i.e., fats and oils) under basic conditions.

Carrying out the reaction themselves will be particularly useful for anyone choosing to sit the Organic Chemistry or Scholarship exams.

It will be about six weeks before the soaps are ready to use and take home.

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