What is the empirical formula of fructose (C6H12O6) found in honey?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The empirical formula of fructose (C6H12O6) is CH2O.
Explanation:
The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in a compound. To find the empirical formula for fructose, we first need to express the molecular formula of fructose (C6H12O6) in the simplest whole-number ratio.
- Identify the elements and their quantities:
- Fructose consists of Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O).
- The molecular formula for fructose is C6H12O6, meaning it contains 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms, and 6 oxygen atoms.
- Simplify the ratio:
- Divide each subscript by the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the subscripts in the molecular formula.
- The GCD of 6 (C), 12 (H), and 6 (O) is 6.
- Divide each element’s subscript by 6:
- Carbon: 66=1\frac{6}{6} = 166=1
- Hydrogen: 126=2\frac{12}{6} = 2612=2
- Oxygen: 66=1\frac{6}{6} = 166=1
- The empirical formula:
- The simplified ratio of the elements is 1:2:1, which corresponds to the empirical formula CH2O.
This empirical formula CH2O is the simplest whole-number ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in fructose, whereas the molecular formula C6H12O6 shows the actual number of atoms in a molecule of fructose.
