Group No: 2 Date Performed: November 23,

2020
Group Members Date Submitted: November 25,
2020

1. Alegre, Enelyn P.
2. Asilin, Muslemen A.
3. Covarrubias, Sheryll Marie L.
4. Jhaafar, Sitti Wardina H.
5. Quisel, Janecyril P.

MY FAT CHEMISTRY
Activity No. 4
I. Objectives

1. Determine the melting points of each samples.

2. Present and differentiate the data of each sample’s melting point.
3. Identify the classification of fats.

II. Introduction

Fats are substances that help the body use certain vitamins to keep the skin healthy; they
may also be stored in the fat tissue of the body, which when energy is needed, releases fatty
acids. In the human diet, fats are a source of nutrition, along with carbohydrates and proteins, the
other two major macronutrients. Fats are a part of our diet and is important for good health. In
the diet, fat is a carrier of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and facilitates intestinal absorption.
The ingestion of ample quantities of fatty food containing these vitamins is therefore necessary
for the adequate intake of these micronutrients. There are different types of fats which are
saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and trans fat. Starting with saturated fat,
or also referred to as fatty acids that have no carbon-carbon double bonds. In foods, including
meats, cheeses, dairy products, cakes, and chocolate, this form of fat is found. Eating greater
amounts of saturated fat is linked with an increased risk of heart disease and high blood
cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is safe and healthy. They are
found in high levels in red meat, nuts, high fat fruits such as avocados, and olive oil.
Polyunsaturated fat, along with monounsaturated fat, is a form of unsaturated fat that is an
essential part of a balanced diet. These fats help minimize the risk of heart disease and lower
cholesterol levels (among other health benefits) by replacing saturated fats in the diet. The final
type of fat, trans fat, is one that is primarily artificially added into food. While trans fats are
naturally present at low levels in a limited number of foods, they are more commonly added to
oils through a process known as hydrogenation. Eating trans fats increases the levels of ‘bad’
cholesterol and decreases the levels of ‘good’ cholesterol in the body which is a major risk factor
for heart disease.

III. Result and Discussion

Sample Composition Melting Comments & Observation

Saturated /Trans fat Point
% (℃)
1 Olive oil 11 -6℃ Olive oil is a liquid fat whereas it
melted near -6.0C

2 Butter 66 36℃ When heated, the butter melted

easily into a thin liquid
consistency.
3 Animal lard 41 33℃ Lard only contains fat, and
it is a semi-solid white.

4 Vegetable 100 46℃ It is always in its solid and fluffy

shortening form.
5 Frying fat 50 41℃ It releases free fatty acids.
6 Corn oil 14 -11℃ Giving a high smoke point and
oxidized.
7 Canola oil 7 -10℃ Very healthy oil due to fatty acid
composition. Gives a soft and
moist texture
8 Soybean oil 15 -21℃ Giving high smoke point and
refined oil rich in fat
9 Peanut oil 18 -2℃ Solid fat content.
 IV. Answer to Questions

Questions

1. What did you learn about edible fats?

Edible fats provide our bodies with distinct benefits as they break down. It is
harmless when consumed and doesn’t destroy our body system. Edible fats are found in
plants, vegetables, or animals. This is how fatty acid works or such a combination of
most solutions which most definitely exists in living beings or foods.

2. Are all fats the same chemically or physically? In what ways do they differ?

No, because they have different fat saturation and melting points. Fats are both not
chemically or physically similar. They can vary in color, texture, point of melting, and smell.
Some fats have varying percentages of saturation and do not have the same melting point that
break down in our body and fats often have different functions to provide us with good health
benefits.

3. What kind of fat is most difficult for our body to process and digest? What physical
property gives us insight into why It may be difficult for our bodies to process this
fat. Trans fat is one of the hardest for our body to absorb since its unsaturated fatty
acids which is chemically composed of one or more double bonds making it harder
to break down for the body. The property that gives us insight into why it could be
hard for our bodies to handle this is the melting point.

4. The human body has temperature of 37 ° C. Which of the fat samples you tested
today would be solid at this temperature?

All fat samples are solid at temperature and they are found in high meats and dairy
products. They are mostly found in foods but also in vegetable oil by process called
hydrogenation. Fat samples are saturated and it increases cholesterol levels.

5. What trend did you observe from the data plotted in the chart? How is melting
temperature related percent composition of trans fat?

The percent composition of saturated fat and trans-fat both increases. As observed, the
melting point increases as well. Most fats samples have high amount of saturated fat along
with trans-fat.

6. How might the information you learned today help you make wise choices on fat foods
you eat?

Through this activity, we learned the different types of fats especially saturated fat
and trans fat. These two are unhealthy and can be harmful to our body. To become healthy and
be able to make wise choices, we should first examine the packaging label of the products we
eat. We need to eat more monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats because they are good
for our skin and general safety. It can also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Lower
levels LDL cholesterol thus growing healthy HDL.

V. Conclusion

In this worksheet, melting point data of different 9 samples: vegetable shortening,

butter, animal lard, frying fat, peanut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, olive oil and canola oil, were
collected and organized. A robot is designed to measure the melting point of these different fat
samples. Among all, vegetable shortening recorded highest composition saturated/trans fat
(%), 100 in numbers; while canola oil recorded lowest, 7 in numbers.

VI. References

Fat. (2020, June 6). Retrieved from URL:

https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/fat-salt-sugars-and-alcohol/fat