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When fats and oils are hydrolysed, mixtures of fatty acids are obtained - Scottish Highers Chemistry - Question 5 - 2016
Question 5
When fats and oils are hydrolysed, mixtures of fatty acids are obtained. (a) Name the other product obtained in this reaction. (b) The table below shows the percen... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:When fats and oils are hydrolysed, mixtures of fatty acids are obtained - Scottish Highers Chemistry - Question 5 - 2016
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Step 4
Describe how this apparatus could be used to show that olive oil has a greater degree of unsaturation than coconut oil.
Answer
To demonstrate that olive oil is more unsaturated than coconut oil, the bromine solution should be added dropwise to both oils using the described apparatus. Observations should be made as the bromine is added; the sample with the greater degree of unsaturation (olive oil) will decolorize the bromine solution faster than the sample with fewer double bonds (coconut oil). This indicates that olive oil reacts with bromine more readily due to its higher content of unsaturated fatty acids.
Step 5
Suggest why hexane is used as the solvent, rather than water.
Answer
Hexane is used as the solvent because it is non-polar, which is suitable for dissolving non-polar substances like oils. Water is polar and does not mix well with the non-polar oils, making hexane the better choice for this experiment.
Step 6
Give two reasons why coconut oil has a higher melting point than olive oil.
Answer
- Coconut oil has a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids, which can pack more closely together, leading to stronger van der Waals forces between molecules.
- The linear fatty acid chains in coconut oil allow for more effective packing compared to the kinked structures in unsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil, which can disrupt close packing.