Natural products: fats and oilsIntermediate 2 ChemistryUnit 2(e)
Key questions
• What is the difference between a fat and an oil?
• What causes this difference?
Classifying fats and oils• According to their origin
– Animal e.g. lard– Vegetable e.g. sunflower oil– Marine e.g. cod liver oil
Function in the human body• Provide energy
• A more concentrated energy source than the same mass of carbohydrate
What are fats and oils?• Esters
• Their parent alcohol is glycerol
• The alkanoic acids are fatty acids
Glycerol
Fatty acids
Key questions• Can you give an example of a situation
when fats or oils are broken down?
• What type of reaction is involved?
• In what ratio will the products be produced?
Difference between fats and oils• Fats are solid at room temperature; oils
are liquids.
• Fats have higher melting points than oils.
Structure of fats• Saturated
molecules• Regular
structure• Tight
packing• Stronger
forces between molecules
Structure of oils• Unsaturated
molecules• Irregular
structure• Loose
packing• Weaker
forces between molecules
Converting oils into fats• What would need to be done to convert
an oil into a fat?– C=C is removed through an addition
reaction with hydrogen