Chapter 4, Problem 4.59P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

It is to be described how the relative amount of unsaturation in the fatty acids affects the melting point.

Concept introduction:

Saturated fatty acids contain the maximum number of hydrogen atoms consistent with the number and type of each nonhydrogen atom in the molecule. Unsaturated fatty acids have fewer than the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible in the molecule. The unsaturated fatty acids are missing the number of hydrogen atoms compared to saturated fatty acids. The number of carbon-carbon ($\text{C=C}$) double bonds depends upon IHD. The number of double bonds affects the melting points of the fatty acids.