Question

Give scientific reason
The hydrogenation of vegetable oil in the presence of nickel catalyst forms vanaspati ghee.

Answer 1

1. vegetable oil contains carbon-carbon multiple bonds while vanspati ghee contains carbon-carbon single bonds. so vegetable oil is an unsaturated compound while vanaspati ghee is saturated compound.
2. An unsaturated compound undergoes addition reaction with hydrogen in presence of nickel catalyst to form a saturated compound. This reaction is called hydrogenation. Hence, vegetable ghee is formed from the hydrogenation of vegetable oil in presence of nickel catalyst.