Chapter 10, Problem 5P

44322-10-5P

Summary Introduction

To determine: Whether the chemical process that converts vegetable oil to margarine converts saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids.

Introduction: The saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are structurally different from each other. The saturated fatty acids do not have any double bond in their hydrocarbon chain and are solid at room temperature, whereas the unsaturated fatty acids have a double bond in their hydrocarbon chain and are liquid at room temperature.