SHEET /vs/palmitic-acid-vs-stearic-acid · COMPARISON
Palmitic acid vs Stearic acid: what is the difference?
How they differ
Both are saturated fatty acids with no double bonds at all, and they differ by two carbons, 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.
Side by side
| Palmitic acid | Stearic acid | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C16H32O2 | C18H36O2 |
| Molecular weight | 256.42 g/mol | 284.5 g/mol |
| Family | Fatty acids | Fatty acids |
| Everyday group | Food & flavor | Nutrient |
| Functional groups | Carboxylic Acids | Carboxylic Acids |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Warning | Danger |
| LD50A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | 57 mg/kg (iv, mouse) | 21.5 mg/kg (iv, rat) |
| Found in | Chocolate, Cocoa, Red meat, Cured meat | Chocolate, Cocoa, Red meat |
| CAS number | 57-10-3 | 57-11-4 |
| PubChem CID | 985 | 5281 |
Structural similarity 1.00 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Palmitic acid and Stearic acid?
- Both are saturated fatty acids with no double bonds at all, and they differ by two carbons, 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.
- 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.
Read the full records: Palmitic acid and Stearic acid.