Question

Explain saturated fatty acids.

Answer 1

They possess only single `C-C` bonds.

Explanation:

A saturated organic molecule is one that has only single carbon-carbon bonds. Some examples include alkanes, which have a chemical formula of `C_nH_(2n+2),ninNN`.

An unsaturated organic molecule is one that has no single carbon-carbon bonds, that means it can potentially have double or triple `C-C` bonds. Some are called, alkenes, with a chemical formula of `C_nH_(2n),ninNN`, and some are alkynes, with a chemical formula of `C_nH_(2n-2),ninNN`. Both can be distinguished by a simple test of using bromine water, where alkenes decolorise the water, while alkanes have no effect.

So saturated fatty acids are those that contain all, single `C-C` bonds, but can still contain double bonds with other atoms, such as the `C=O` bond.