What is the molecular formula for glucose?

Glucose is a simple sugar and is classified as a carbohydrate. The molecular formula for glucose is derived from its chemical structure, which includes six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms. This composition is represented as C6H12O6.

Understanding the structure of glucose is essential. It can exist in a linear form as well as in cyclic forms, but regardless of its structural form, the molecular formula remains C6H12O6. This makes it a hexose (a sugar with six carbon atoms) and is part of a larger family of carbohydrates known as monosaccharides.

In contrast, the other options provided do not represent glucose. For instance, C5H10O5 suggests a five-carbon sugar, which would not be glucose. CH2O could represent formaldehyde or indicate a general formula for carbohydrates (empirical formula), but it does not specifically denote glucose. Lastly, C6H6O3 does not match the structure or known composition of glucose and suggests a different arrangement of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Therefore, the correct molecular formula for glucose is C6H12O6.