Question

Which of the following is not a wax?
A.Myricyl palmitate
B.Tripalmitin
C.Myricyl cerotate
D.Cetyl palmitate

Answer 1

Hint: Wax is an ester. It has long chains of fatty acids and alcohol. It is a simple lipid. It can be considered a long hydrocarbon chain, which may contain 13-35 or sometimes more than 35 carbon atoms in them. Waxes are insoluble in water. The best example of wax is a candle, which we use in our everyday life. All the waxes have an almost similar chemical composition and the ones used for making candles burn in the same manner.

Complete answer:
Myricyl palmitate: the molecular formula of myricyl palmitate is \[{C_{46}}{H_{92}}{O_2}\]. It is an ester of triacontanol and palmitic acid. It is a major component of beeswax. It is white but occurs as a yellow-white solid. It has a characteristic odor. It’s a purified wax that is obtained from a honeycomb. Its structure has alkyl esters and unsaturated fatty acids and is as follows:

Tripalmitin: its molecular formula is \[{C_{51}}{H_{98}}{O_6}\]. Tripalmitin is a triglyceride that has been derived from palmitic acid which is another type of fatty acid. tripalmitin is not a wax.
It has the following structure:

Myricyl cerotate: its molecular formula is\[{C_{46}}{H_{92}}{O_2}\]. It is obtained from Carnuba palm and therefore it is also known as a Carnuba wax. It has a long chain of carbons that can go as high as 30 carbon atoms. It is a hard wax, very much durable, and waterproof also.
It has the following structure:

Cetyl palmate: Its molecular formula is\[{C_{32}}{H_{64}}{O_2}\]. Its other name is Hexadecyl hexadecanoate. It is the ester that has been derived from hexadecanoic acid and hexadecanol. Cetyl palmate is also a white wax. It is one of the components of spermaceti. It is a very costly wax. It is extracted in the form of oil from the head of sperm whales (adipose tissue), and then by cooling the oil it is turned into wax.
Its structure is as follows:

Therefore the correct option is B. Tripalmitin

Note:
Waxes are a long chain of fatty acids and they contain ester linkage. They are insoluble in water and almost all waxes are white. Triglycerides are not waxes rather they are a type of fats derived from other fatty acids which may be found inside the body of animals in a stored form.