Answer: SATURATED fats have a LOW potential for spoiling when exposed to oxygen or heated and UNSATURATED fats have a HIGH potential for spoiling when exposed to oxygen or heated due to their chemical structure.
Explanation:
Fatty acids are long chain alkanoic acids which contains about 10 to 18 carbon atoms. The terminal -COOH group is polar, hence the acid is able to dissolve in water. The carboxylic acid group ionizes in water to a certain degree to form hydrogen ion and the carboxylate ion. Fatty acids are this weak acids. While the long alkyl group is non-polar, and so is not soluble in water. Fatty acids are divided into two:
--> SATURATED fatty acids: In this type of fatty acid, there are absence of double bonds in their hydrocarbon chain. As a result, they are solid at room temperature. Example of saturated fatty acids are found in animal products which includes: milk, cheese and beef. Saturated fatty acids has a LOW potential for spoiling when exposed to oxygen or heating because of their chemical structure. They are usually formed by hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids causing them to attain stability in their chemical structure.
--> UNSATURATED fatty acids: In this type of fatty acid, there are presence of one or more double bonds in their hydrogen chain. As a result, they are usually liquid at room temperature. Examples include: vegetable oil, fish oil and groundnut oil.
UNSATURATED fats have a HIGH potential for spoiling when exposed to oxygen or heated due to their chemical structure. The presence of unstable double bonds in their hydrocarbon chain allows oxygen to react with it easily. To makes it spoil easily when exposed to oxygen.
