What is the balanced equation for sugar+oxygen burning to carbon dioxide+water?

1 Answer
Dec 15, 2014

Sugars are a white crystalline group of soluble carbohydrates that are very sweet-tasting in nature. Sugar molecules include glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, and galactose, classified into two groups: monosaccharides and disaccharides.

Glucose - #C_6H_12O_6# - is a monosaccharide and its combustion reaction is

#C_6H_12O_6 + 9O_2 -> 6CO_2 + 6H_2O#

Sucrose (#C_12H_22O_11#) - commonly called table sugar - is a disaccharide produced as glucose and fructose are joined together by a condensation reaction:

#C_6H_12O_6 + C_6H_12O_6 -> C_12H_22O_11 + H_2O#

Sucrose's combustion reaction is

#C_12H_22O_11 + 12O_2 -> 12CO_2 + 11H_2O#