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Do all carbohydrates have the formula #C_nH_(2m)O_m#?

Answer 1

Although carbohydrates are essentially hydrated carbons (i.e. each carbon is hydrated with a water molecule), sugars like deoxyribose sugar ( #C_5H_{10}O_4#) are also considered carbohydrate.

It is easier to view carbohydrate formula as #C_n(H_2O)_m# in order to see that it is hydrated carbon. In a condensation reaction where a disaccharide is formed, 1 molecule of water leave thereby giving #m=n-1#

Nevertheless, one carbon molecule in deoxyribose lacks an oxygen atom, making it an exception to the formula.

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Answer 2

Christian Anderson

No, not all carbohydrates have the formula C_nH_(2m)O_m. While this formula applies to many simple carbohydrates like monosaccharides and some disaccharides, more complex carbohydrates such as polysaccharides may have different ratios of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Additionally, some carbohydrates may contain other elements like nitrogen and sulfur.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.