At what state are saturated fats typically found at room temperature?

Saturated fats are typically found in a solid state at room temperature due to their molecular structure. Saturated fats consist of fatty acid chains that have no double bonds between the carbon atoms. This allows the molecules to pack closely together, resulting in a type of intermolecular attraction that contributes to their solidity. As a result, many saturated fats, such as butter and lard, remain solid at room temperature.

In contrast, unsaturated fats contain one or more double bonds, which introduces kinks in the fatty acid chains, preventing them from packing closely and making them more likely to be liquid at room temperature, like olive oil. Furthermore, gaseous forms are not applicable in this context, as fats do not exist in gas form at room temperature. Therefore, the state of saturated fats is best described as solid at room temperature.