The molecular formula for lactose is C12H22O11.
Lactose, also known as milk sugar, is a disaccharide. This means it's a carbohydrate composed of two simpler sugars linked together. In the case of lactose, those two sugars are galactose and glucose. The formula C12H22O11 reflects the specific arrangement and number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that make up a single molecule of lactose.
Here's a breakdown of the formula:
- C12: Indicates 12 carbon atoms.
- H22: Indicates 22 hydrogen atoms.
- O11: Indicates 11 oxygen atoms.
The formation of the disaccharide lactose from galactose and glucose involves the removal of a water molecule (H2O). If you were to simply add the formulas of glucose (C6H12O6) and galactose (C6H12O6), you'd get C12H24O12. However, because a water molecule is removed during the bond formation, the resulting lactose molecule has the formula C12H22O11.
