Unsaturated fats change bromine water from orange to colourless. How?

Unsaturated fats usually have a C=C double bond, e.g. vegetable oil. So, it's 'unstable' because of the high concentration of negative charge (electrons). Bromine (B2) is not polarised. However, as it approaches the double bond, it polarises. We can this a permanent dipole to induced dipole reaction. Bromine than attaches to the hydrocarbon creating halogenated hydrocarbons (Bromine is a halogen). Since bromine is added on, we call this an addition reaction. This helps separate alkanes from alkenes. Diagram will help explain.

AC

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Describe, with the aid of diagrams, what hydrogen bonding is in water.


The Haber process is used to manufacture ammonia. Explain the optimum conditions for this reaction and why these conditions may not be used in industry


Why does phenol react more readily with bromine than benzene?


2.11g of MgCl2 is added to 30cm3 of water. Find the concentration of chloride ions in the solution.