• Activities
1. Explain in your own words, why fats are not soluble in water.
Explain the chemical reasons why some fatty acids have lower and some higher melting
points. Find (on the internet) 2 examples of fatty acids and their melting points that work like
you’ve explained.
2. Research information about the composition of the butter/oil that you use daily. Explain the
properties of your butter/oil based on its composition.
3. Find information (on the internet) about trans fats and how they are formed in the production
of margarine. What can be done to decrease the amount of trans-fats in both margarine
production and our diets?
In which products are there the most trans fats?
4. Compare the cholesterol and testosterone molecules and explain the similarities and
differences in them.
Explain why LDL and HDL have different effects in our blood vessels..
• Extra activity
Write a short essay on how fats affect our health from the viewpoint of chemistry.
Use this text and your own research done on activities 1-4.
Cover at least the following topics:
Vegetable oils compared to animal fats
Trans fats
Essential fatty acids
Cholesterol
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