Is sucrose a reducing sugar?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking whether sucrose, a common sugar, can act as a reducing sugar, which involves understanding its chemical properties and reactions.

More Information

Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose linked by a glycosidic bond. This bond prevents the aldehyde group of glucose and the ketone group of fructose from participating in reducing reactions, thus making sucrose a non-reducing sugar.

Tips

A common mistake is assuming all sugars are reducing. To check if a sugar is reducing, look for free aldehyde or ketone groups in its structure.

Sources

• Reducing and Non-Reducing Sugars - chemguide.co.uk
• Sugar Reduction Glossary - whatischemistry.unis.org