Which fats remain liquid at room temperature?

The correct answer is unsaturated fats, which remain liquid at room temperature due to their molecular structure. These fats have one or more double bonds in their fatty acid chains, which introduces kinks in the chain. These kinks prevent the molecules from packing closely together, allowing them to remain in a liquid state at room temperature.

Common sources of unsaturated fats include oils derived from plants, such as olive oil and canola oil, as well as fatty fish. This liquid state is a significant characteristic that distinguishes them from saturated fats, which are typically solid at room temperature due to their straight chains that pack tightly together.

Saturated fats do not have double bonds and are more common in animal products, contributing to their solid consistency. Trans fats are artificially created through hydrogenation, which turns liquid unsaturated fats into semi-solid forms, making them solid at room temperature. Hydrogenated fats also result from this process, reinforcing the solid state at room temperature.