Question

A scientist has isolated a fatty acid that has 26 carbons bonded together. All of the carbon atoms in the chain are connected by single bonds. The only other elements in the compound are hydrogen and oxygen. Based on this information, the compound is a(n) ________ fatty acid.

Answer 1

The compound is a saturated fatty acid.

Step-by-step explanation:

Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with a long chain, which can be 3-carbon long-chain atoms or above. According to the saturation of its bonds, they can be saturated (all single bonds) or unsaturated (mono or polyunsaturated, depending on the number of double bonds present in the molecule).

In this case, since it is a saturated fatty acid and it has 26 carbons, it is called cerotic acid, or hexacosanoic acid.