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