Question

Carbohydrates like sugars and starches are made of only three elements: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). How is it possible that so many different carbohydrates can be formed using only these three elements?

Answer 1

Answer:

See explanation

Explanation:

A carbohydrate is formed from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. These three elements are combined in every carbohydrate.

Even though carbohydrates are composed of only these three atoms, the number of atoms of these elements in each carbohydrate as well as the spatial arrangement of these atoms in each carbohydrate is not the same.

This means that different carbohydrates contain different number of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms which are arranged in different ways in space. This gives room for the existence of many different types of carbohydrates all consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.