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Home Q & A Board Biology-Related Homework Help General Biology
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Illy222 Illy222
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3 years ago
I'm not asking just for the answer, but how one arrives at the answer. I know the answer:  c3h6O3

I know the a monosaccharide derives from cH20. The presumption is that adding 3 carbon atoms changes the concentration of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but I don't know why or how.

Forgive my ignorance.
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#1
Educator
3 years ago
Hi Illy222



It's based on the general structure of a monosaccharide, how the atoms bond together. Notice how for each subsequent carbon along the molecules backbone, it opens up new bonding sites for oxygen and hydrogen. This occurs at a fixed ratio.
Illy222 Author
wrote...
#2
3 years ago Edited: 3 years ago, Illy222
What's the explanation for this ratio though? Why does adding two carbon atoms give me 4 more hydrogen atoms? I guess what I am asking is, does this question depend on my knowledge of electron concentrations of each element and the way they bond etc. or rather the structure of a monosaccharide?
wrote...
#3
Educator
3 years ago
As the molecule grows, and carbons are added, each carbon can bond to up to four atoms - carbon has a valence of 4. Two of these bonds are dedicated to adjacent carbons, leaving us with 2. As you can see, they are occupied by hydrogen H and hydroxyl OH, hence the ratio of 2 hydrogens and 1 oxygen per one carbon.
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