Why do saturated fats have higher melting points than unsaturated fats?
A) Saturated fats stack better than unsaturated fats and therefore have more dispersion forces between them.
B) Saturated fats stack better than unsaturated fats and therefore have fewer dispersion forces between them.
C) Unsaturated fats stack better than saturated fats and therefore have more dispersion forces between them.
D) Unsaturated fats stack better than saturated fats and therefore have fewer dispersion forces between them.
E) Actually, saturated fats have lower melting points than unsaturated fats.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Saturated fats have no double bonds between carbon atoms, which allows them to pack closely together, leading to stronger dispersion forces (van der Waals forces) between the molecules. This close packing increases the melting point of saturated fats compared to unsaturated fats, which contain one or more double bonds that create kinks, preventing tight packing.

Why Do Saturated Fats Have Higher Melting Points Than Unsaturated