Fatty Acid Definition

This is the chemical structure of the carboxylic acid functional group.
This is the chemical structure of the carboxylic acid functional group. It forms the endpoint of a fatty acid compound. Todd Helmenstine
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Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on July 20, 2018

In chemistry, there are a lot of terms that differentiate various compounds. You may come across the term fatty acid or monocarboxylic acid at some point in your science career. The definition of a fatty acid is an important term to know, as well as its aliases.

Fatty Acid Definition: A fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long side chain of hydrocarbons. Most fatty acids contain an even number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain and follow the general molecular formula of CH3(CH2)xCOOH where x is the number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain.

Also Known As: monocarboxylic acids

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Fatty Acid Definition." ThoughtCo, Aug. 25, 2020, thoughtco.com/fatty-acid-definition-608747. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 25). Fatty Acid Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fatty-acid-definition-608747 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Fatty Acid Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/fatty-acid-definition-608747 (accessed April 20, 2024).