Unsaturation in fats and oils

A close-up photograph of margarine melting in a pan

Source: © Getty Images

Use this class practical to investigate the amounts of unsaturated fats and oils in different foods. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

Food labels and advertisements often refer to unsaturated fats and oils. In this experiment, students compare the amounts of unsaturated fats and oils in different foodstuffs by titrating solutions of samples with aqueous bromine (bromine water), which reacts with the carbon–carbon double bonds present in such fats and oils.

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