Final answer:
The process used to make fats and oils more solid at room temperature is called hydrogenation, which involves adding hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids in oils, thereby increasing their melting points.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that describes making fats and oils more solid at room temperature is known as hydrogenation. During this process, hydrogen atoms are added to the double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids found in fats and oils, which converts these unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids. This conversion increases the melting point of the fats, making them more solid.
Hydrogenation is commonly used in the food industry to convert liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid or solid forms such as margarine and shortening. It enhances their shelf-life and solidity, allowing them to be used as spreadable products and in baking. Complete hydrogenation leads to hard margarine, while partial hydrogenation results in a semisolid product that closely resembles butter in consistency and usability.