What is the empirical formula for fructose?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking for the empirical formula of fructose, which is a type of sugar. To determine this, we need to understand the basic composition of fructose in terms of its simplest whole number ratio of atoms.

More Information

The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of the elements in the compound. For fructose with a molecular formula of C6H12O6, dividing the subscripts by their greatest common divisor (6) yields the empirical formula CH2O.

Tips

A common mistake is confusing the empirical formula with the molecular formula. The empirical formula is always the simplest ratio while the molecular formula represents the actual number of atoms in the molecule.

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