Table of contents

1. Matter and Measurements4h 31m
2. Atoms and the Periodic Table5h 23m
3. Ionic Compounds2h 18m
4. Molecular Compounds2h 18m
5. Classification & Balancing of Chemical Reactions3h 17m
6. Chemical Reactions & Quantities2h 27m
7. Energy, Rate and Equilibrium3h 46m
8. Gases, Liquids and Solids3h 25m
9. Solutions4h 10m
10. Acids and Bases3h 29m
11. Nuclear Chemistry56m
BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions47m
12. Introduction to Organic Chemistry1h 34m
13. Alkenes, Alkynes, and Aromatic Compounds2h 12m
14. Compounds with Oxygen or Sulfur1h 6m
15. Aldehydes and Ketones1h 1m
16. Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives1h 11m
17. Amines39m
18. Amino Acids and Proteins1h 51m
19. Enzymes1h 37m
20. Carbohydrates1h 41m
21. The Generation of Biochemical Energy2h 8m
22. Carbohydrate Metabolism2h 22m
23. Lipids2h 26m
24. Lipid Metabolism1h 45m
25. Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism1h 37m
26. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis2h 54m

23. Lipids

Fatty Acids

GOB Chemistry

23. Lipids

Fatty Acids

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5:39 minutes

Problem 52

Textbook Question

Draw the condensed structural formula and skeletal structure of the saturated fatty acid with 16 carbon atoms. What is the name of this fatty acid?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the problem. A saturated fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long hydrocarbon chain that contains only single bonds between carbon atoms. The problem specifies a saturated fatty acid with 16 carbon atoms.

Step 2: Identify the general structure of a saturated fatty acid. The formula for a saturated fatty acid is typically

CH_3-(CH_2)_n-COOH

, where

n

represents the number of CH₂ groups in the chain. For a 16-carbon fatty acid, the chain includes 14 CH₂ groups between the CH₃ group and the COOH group.

Step 3: Write the condensed structural formula. Start with the methyl group (

CH_3

), followed by 14 methylene groups (

(CH_2)_{14}

), and end with the carboxylic acid group (

COOH

). The condensed structural formula is

CH_3-(CH_2)_{14}-COOH

Step 4: Draw the skeletal structure. In a skeletal structure, each vertex represents a carbon atom, and hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon are implied. Draw a zigzag line with 16 vertices, where the first vertex represents the CH₃ group, the last vertex represents the COOH group, and the intermediate vertices represent the CH₂ groups.

Step 5: Name the fatty acid. A saturated fatty acid with 16 carbon atoms is called palmitic acid. This name is derived from its systematic name, hexadecanoic acid, where 'hexadec-' indicates 16 carbons and '-anoic acid' indicates a saturated carboxylic acid.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Saturated fatty acids are types of fatty acids that have no double bonds between the carbon atoms in their hydrocarbon chain. This means that each carbon atom is fully 'saturated' with hydrogen atoms. They are typically solid at room temperature and are commonly found in animal fats and some plant oils.

Condensed Structural Formula

A condensed structural formula is a way of representing a chemical compound that shows the arrangement of atoms in a molecule without depicting all the bonds explicitly. In this format, groups of atoms are often grouped together to simplify the representation, making it easier to visualize the molecular structure.

Skeletal Structure

The skeletal structure, or line-angle structure, is a simplified representation of organic molecules where carbon atoms are represented by vertices and hydrogen atoms are implied. This method emphasizes the connectivity of the carbon backbone and is particularly useful for visualizing larger molecules, such as fatty acids, without cluttering the diagram with hydrogen atoms.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

Sunflower seed oil can be used to make margarine. A triacylglycerol in sunflower seed oil contains two linoleic acids and one oleic acid.

b. Using one of the isomers, write the reaction that takes place when sunflower seed oil is used to make solid margarine.

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Textbook Question

Draw the skeletal structure and give the name and omega number of the following fatty acid:

CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂HC=CHCH₂HC=CHCH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂COOH

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Textbook Question

Certain omega-3 fatty acids can be found only in animal sources, such as fatty fish. Two of these are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) [20:5] and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [22:6], both of which are ω-3 fatty acids. DHA has been shown to be important in healthy brain development, so it has recently been added to infant formulas. Breast milk is rich in DHA as long as the mother maintains a healthy diet that includes fish. Draw skeletal structures of the fatty acids EPA and DHA.

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Textbook Question

The most prevalent fatty acid in coconut oil is lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid containing 12 carbons. Draw lauric acid in skeletal structure.

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following fatty acids would you expect to be more soluble in cyclohexane?