Question

Lipids that contain a high number of double bonds in their fatty acid chains will ________?

1) be solid at room temperature
2) be liquid at room temperature
3) have a higher melting point
4) have a lower melting point

Answer 1

Lipids with many double bonds in their fatty acid chains are liquid at room temperature and have lower melting points due to the kinks caused by double bonds, which prevent tight packing and result in weaker intermolecular forces.

Step-by-step explanation:

Lipids that contain a high number of double bonds in their fatty acid chains will be liquid at room temperature and have a lower melting point. This is because double bonds introduce kinks or bends in the fatty acid chains, which prevent the chains from packing tightly together. The loosely packed chains result in weaker intermolecular forces and thus lower melting points. In contrast, saturated fats, which contain mostly single bonds, are straighter and can pack closely together, leading to a solid state at room temperature and higher melting points. An example of such unsaturated fats would be vegetable oils, which are liquids at room temperature due to their higher content of unsaturated fatty acids.