Palmitic acid vs Stearic acid: what is the difference?
Stearic acid is two carbons longer than palmitic acid, so it melts at a higher temperature, and unlike palmitic acid it has little effect on blood cholesterol.
Two carbons longer.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share; the amber marks where the two differ.
- The captionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- What is highlightedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedOne line under each drawing, written from the atoms the amber marks.
- Structural similaritycomputedRDKit Morgan/Tanimoto1.00 of 1, a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Side by side
| Palmitic acid | Stearic acid | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 256.42 g/molC16H32O2 | 284.5 g/molC18H36O2 |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 1 | 1 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
| |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Fatty acids | Fatty acids |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Food & flavor | Nutrient |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Carboxylic Acids | Carboxylic Acids |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA via PubChem | Warning | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 57 mg/kgpure palmitic acid, mouse, intravenous | 21.5 mg/kgpure stearic acid, rat, intravenous |
| A single acute animal measure, here in two different species. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChem
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 985 (Palmitic acid) and 5281 (Stearic acid).
In more detail
Both are saturated fatty acids with no double bonds at all, C16H32O2 against C18H36O2. That length difference raises stearic acid's melting point, which is why it is the one that gives a candle and a bar of soap their body and why cocoa butter is solid at room temperature and melts in the mouth. Palmitic acid is the most common saturated fat in the food supply and in human tissue, and is the one the body makes first when it synthesises fat. Their metabolic reputations differ: stearic acid is largely converted to oleic acid in the liver and has little effect on blood cholesterol, while palmitic acid raises LDL, which is unusual for two molecules so nearly identical.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Palmitic acid and Stearic acid?
- Stearic acid is two carbons longer than palmitic acid, so it melts at a higher temperature, and unlike palmitic acid it has little effect on blood cholesterol.
- Is Palmitic acid bigger than Stearic acid?
- Stearic acid is the heavier molecule, 284.5 g/mol against 256.42 g/mol for Palmitic acid. Palmitic acid is C16H32O2 and Stearic acid is C18H36O2.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.