Question

Arrange the following carbohydrates in the order of increasing complexity of chemical structures: fructose, starch, oligosaccharide, maltose, triose.

Answer 1

Triose has the molecular formula of C${}_3$H${}_6$O${}_3$.

Fructose has the molecular formula of C${}_6$H${}_{12}$O${}_6$. Maltose has the molecular formula of C${}_{12}$H${}_{22}$O${}_{11}$. Oligosaccharides have the molecular formula of 3 to 10 times C${}_{12}$H${}_{22}$O${}_{11}$.

Starch has the molecular formula of C${}_6$H${}_{10}$O${}_5$ (n times) and it is also a polysaccharide.

Hence, the increasing order of complexity of chemical structures is triose> fructose> maltose> oligosaccharides> starch.