Fats and Oils Flashcards
What are fats and oils essential for?
They are:
1. A concentrated source of energy
- Essential for the transport and storage of fat soluble vitamins in the body
What states are fats and oils in at room temperature?
Fats are solid at room temperature.
Oils are liquid at room temperature
What is the lower melting point of oils related to?
The higher degree of unsaturation. The presence of C=C in oils distorts the long fatty chains and the molecule’s shape and it cannot pack closely together.
Why do fats have increased melting points?
They do not have the same degree of distortion as oils and can pack closely together, increasing their melting point.
What are fats in summary?
- Saturated chains
- Molecules packed together
- Strong LDF’s
- Higher melting points
What are oils in summary?
- Unsaturated chains
- Distorted molecules, not packed
- Weak LDF’s
- Lower melting points
What is hardening?
Converting unsaturated oils into saturated fats by heating them up with hydrogen in the presence of a Nickel catalyst
This is also called hydrogenation as it involves an addition reaction with Hydrogen
How are all fats and oils formed?
By the reaction between 3 fatty acids and glycerol
(propan-1,2,3-triol)
What are fatty acids?
Straight chained carboxylic acids which can be saturated/ unsaturated
What does glycerol look like?
H
H-C-OH
H-C-OH
H-C-OH
H
What is the equation for making a fat/oil
Glycerol + Fatty Acids –> Fat/Oil + Water
What do you call fats/oils which are insoluble in water?
Hydrophobic (water-hating)
Why are fats/oils hydrophobic?
Because they are non-polar and the long carbon chains cannot bond to water
What do molecules with molecular mass of under 300 tend to be?
Volatile
larger molecules tend not to be
How does the strength of intermolecular forces affect volatility?
The stronger the force is, the harder it is to break and therefore it is less volatile
