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Cooking oils are molecules of triacylglycerides (TAGs) which are basically carbon & hydrogen atoms; each TAG consists of a glycerol 'head' joined to three fatty acid tails. The tails are hydrocarbons, & each one can vary in length (i.e. how many hydrocarbons are in it) depending on the plant that made the oil, so for instance rapeseed oil has longer tails than olive oil. The shape of the tail can also vary: if the tail is straight then it's a saturated fat, & if there's a kink in the tail it means that the oil is unsaturated. If an oil is just labelled 'cooking oil', then it's likely to be a blend of oils from different sources, each one having slightly different properties.

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17y ago

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