Which is the unsaturated acid: #"A. diacetic acid; B." H_3C(CH_2)_14CO_2H; "C. oleic acid; D. arachidic acid?"#

1 Answer
anor277
Apr 18, 2017

Only #C.# is an unsaturated acid.

Explanation:

An unsaturated carboxylic acids contains only the #1^@# of unsaturation. For instances, #"acetic acid"#, #"H"_3"CC(=O)OH"#, has formula #C_2H_4O_2#, i.e. #1^@# of unsaturation.

Both #"palmitic"#, and #"butyric acids"# are saturated by this definition. #"Palmitic acid"#, i.e. palm oil, is the typical saturated fatty acid, and this is the food component that nutritionists encourage us to avoid.

On the other hand #"oleic acid"#, #C_18H_34O_2#, is the typical UNSATURATED acid (and cis with respect to the necessary double bond), that is found in olive oil, and which nutritionists promote.

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