Question Detail
Question
Both stearic acid and linoleic acid have 18 carbons. Linoleic acid is unsaturated, while stearic acid is saturated. The melting point of stearic acid :
Correct Answer
Option A is the correct answer.
Detailed Explanation
Saturated fatty acids (like stearic acid) have higher melting points than unsaturated fatty acids of the same chain length (like linoleic acid) because they can pack more tightly in the crystal lattice due to their straight-chain structure.
Hint
Do saturated or unsaturated fatty acids have higher melting points?