The types of compounds that comprise the major food groups include carbohydrates, fats and proteins - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 9 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 9
The types of compounds that comprise the major food groups include carbohydrates, fats and proteins. A sample, containing only one of these three types of compounds,... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The types of compounds that comprise the major food groups include carbohydrates, fats and proteins - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 9 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
The compound A. is likely to be a fat.
96%
114 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
Based on the provided percentages by mass, the compound is most likely a fat since it contains a high percentage of carbon (76.2%) and a low percentage of oxygen (11.3%). Fats generally have a higher carbon content relative to oxygen.
Step 2
The compound B. is likely to be a protein.
99%
104 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
Proteins typically contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. However, in this case, the nitrogen percentage is 0%, which excludes the possibility of the sample being a protein.
Step 3
The compound C. is likely to be a carbohydrate.
96%
101 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
Carbohydrates generally have higher percentages of oxygen compared to fats. Given that the oxygen content here is only 11.3%, which is low for carbohydrates, it indicates that the compound is not likely to be a carbohydrate.
Step 4
The compound D. cannot be identified as the percentage composition of other elements has not been given.
98%
120 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
While this is a consideration, the significant carbon content and very low oxygen suggest that the compound can be identified as a fat rather than being indeterminate.
