SOAP is a standardized way of passing a request/response in XML format between two machines (Web services use SOAP)
HTTP is a favourite way of moving the messages across the Internet (because it usually gets past firewalls)
HTTP uses TCP/IP to provide the Transport/Network layer.

Here's a real basic SOAP 101:
http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com/searchWebServices/downloads/what_is_soap.swf
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>>>From what I can tell, both of these are transfer protocols. How are they different? Why use one over the other? There is almost so much information available that I'm having a hard time sifting through it all to get to the basics.
>>
>>Completely different animals. TCP/IP if a transport protocol; SOAP belongs in a much higher layer. Typically you'd use a SOAP->HTTP->TCP/IP stack..
>>
>>Regards,
>>Viv
>
>Ok, sorta makes sense. If you had to drop a quick definition on these with regards to their relationship to each other, what would it be?
>
>SOAP:
>HTTP:
>TCT/IP: