Question

A) Consider the following structure is a type of fatty acid.

CH, - CH, - CH2 -----------CH=CHO-CH, - CH-C=O -
i) State the type of fatty acid.
ii) Give reason to support your answer. iii) Name the condition of the fatty acid at room temperature.​

Answer 1

i) The fatty acid in the given structure is a unsaturated fatty acid.

ii) The presence of a double bond between the carbon atoms in the molecule, as indicated by the "=", indicates that the fatty acid is unsaturated. Unsaturated fatty acids have at least one double bond in their carbon chain, which makes them less saturated with hydrogen atoms compared to saturated fatty acids.

iii) At room temperature, the unsaturated fatty acid in the given structure would be in a liquid state. Unsaturated fatty acids have a lower melting point compared to saturated fatty acids due to the presence of the double bond, which disrupts the packing of the fatty acid molecules and makes them more fluid. As a result, unsaturated fatty acids are typically liquid at room temperature.

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