Cetyl alcohol, C16H34O, is a common ingredient of soaps and shampoos. It was once commonly obtained from whale oil, which is where it gets its name ( cetyl is derived from the word cetacean, which is...

Cetyl alcohol, C16H34O, is a common ingredient of soaps and shampoos. It was once commonly obtained from whale oil, which is where it gets its name (cetyl
is derived

from the word
cetacean,
which is used to refer to members of the family of mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises). Review the discussion of soaps, in Section16.5 and then draw the likely chemical structure for this alcohol.