A 250 mg sample of pure olive oil required 47.5 mg of KOH for complete saponification. Calculate the average molecular weight of triglycerides in the olive oil.?

Question

Answer

Calculation of Average Molecular Weight of Triglycerides in Olive Oil

Given Data:

Mass of olive oil sample (m) = 250 mg

Mass of KOH required for complete saponification (m_KOH) = 47.5 mg

Formula Used:

The average molecular weight of triglycerides in olive oil can be calculated using the following formula:

Average molecular weight = (m_KOH × 56.1)/m

Solution:

Substituting the given values in the formula:

Average molecular weight = (47.5 mg × 56.1) / 250 mg

Average molecular weight = 10.6824

Therefore, the average molecular weight of triglycerides in olive oil is 10.6824

Explanation:

In the given problem, we are required to calculate the average molecular weight of triglycerides in olive oil. For this, we use the formula that relates the mass of olive oil sample, mass of KOH required for complete saponification, and the average molecular weight of triglycerides in olive oil. The formula is derived from the fact that saponification of triglycerides involves the cleavage of three fatty acid chains from a glycerol molecule. The mass of KOH required for this reaction is proportional to the number of fatty acid chains present in the olive oil sample. Using the molecular weight of KOH and the mass of olive oil sample, we can calculate the average molecular weight of triglycerides in olive oil.

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