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Multiple Choice
Glucose is a simple sugar commonly found in nature. Which of the following is the correct molecular formula for glucose?
A
C6H6O6
B
C5H10O5
C
C6H12O6
D
C12H22O11
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Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that the molecular formula represents the number of each type of atom in a molecule. For glucose, you need to identify the correct count of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms.
Recall that glucose is a monosaccharide with six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms, which is a common fact in biochemistry and general chemistry.
Compare the given options to the known molecular formula of glucose. The correct formula should have 6 carbons, 12 hydrogens, and 6 oxygens.
Eliminate options that do not match this count: C6H6O6 has too few hydrogens, C5H10O5 has fewer carbons and oxygens, and C12H22O11 is the formula for a disaccharide (like sucrose), not glucose.
Conclude that the correct molecular formula for glucose is \(C6H12O6\), which matches the known structure and composition of this simple sugar.