| Stearic acid | Oleic acid | |
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Stearic acid - C17H35COOH - is an example of a saturated fatty acid - all carbon atoms in the main chain being linked by single carbon-carbon bonds.
Oleic acid - C17H33COOH - has the same number of carbon atoms, but one double bond halfway along the main chain, which makes it unsaturated. This double carbon-carbon bond means oleic acid has 2 less hydrogen atoms than stearic acid, and this gives it a noticeable kink. Mouse and movement options Colours explained |