Q.What is the basic difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acid?

Step 1. Both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are hydrocarbon chains ending in a carboxyl (–COOH) group.

Step 2. A saturated fatty acid has no double bonds between the carbon atoms of its chain — every carbon is 'saturated' with the maximum possible hydrogens (e.g. palmitic acid, stearic acid).

Step 3. An unsaturated fatty acid has one or more carbon-carbon double bonds along its chain, which introduces a kink in the chain's shape (e.g. oleic acid, linoleic acid). …

Contrast the presence/absence of carbon-carbon double bonds, the de …

• Describing the difference only in terms of physical state (solid vs liquid) without stating the underlying structural cause (presence of double bo …