Question

What is the Respiratory Quotient $\left( {RQ} \right)$ value of tripalmitin?
(A) $0.9$
(B) $0.7$
(C) $0.07$
(D) $0.09$

Answer 1

Hint: Write the equation of the respiration of tripalmitin and note down the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecule used or released. Use the formula for respiratory quotient to calculate it for tripalmitin. Value of the respiratory quotient of tripalmitin depends on its nature and to which extent it is converted into simpler products.

Complete step by step answer:
Respiratory quotient is
$RQ = \dfrac{{{V_{C{O_2}}}}}{{{V_{{O_2}}}}}$
Where, $RQ$ is the respiratory quotient, ${V_{C{O_2}}}$ is the volume of the carbon dioxide produced and ${V_{{O_2}}}$ is the volume of oxygen consumed during respiration.
Respiratory quotient is defined as the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide $\left( {C{O_2}} \right)$ produced to the volume of oxygen that is consumed over a certain period of time. The chemical formula for tripalmitin is ${C_{51}}{H_{98}}{O_6}$. Respiration of tripalmitin involves intaking of oxygen and exhausting of the carbon dioxide and the certain amount of water molecules. The equation of respiration of the tripalmitin is
$2\left( {{C_{51}}{H_{98}}{O_6}} \right) + 145{O_2} \to 102C{O_2} + 98{H_2}O + Energy$
Using the formula for respiratory quotient,
$RQ = \dfrac{{{V_{C{O_2}}}}}{{{V_{{O_2}}}}}$
Substituting the values of the amount of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide released from the equation of respiration in the above formula.
$RQ = \dfrac{{102C{O_2}}}{{145{O_2}}}$
By doing the simple arithmetic operation,
$RQ = 0.7$
Respiratory quotient of the tripalmitin is $0.7$.

Thus, the option (B) is the correct one.

Note:
Remember the equation of the respiration of tripalmitin in a correct way. Care must be taken in such a way that a little exchange of the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules in the numerator and denominator in the formula gives the wrong result.