Question

What is the minimum number of carbon atoms to be present in a carbohydrate?
A.$2$
B.$3$
C.$4$
D.$6$

Answer 1

Hint: We know that the Carbohydrate is one of the three micronutrients through which a human body acquires energy. It consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms at its chemical level. Examples of carbohydrates are glucose, starch, lactose, etc.

Complete answer:
A primary carbon atom is the one which is bound to only one other carbon atom and in case of alkane, a primary carbon is bound with three hydrogen atoms and results in making of an acyclic structure and not a ring structure. We can easily identify a primary, secondary or tertiary carbon in a compound by just counting the number of carbons attached to the main carbon or one at least one carbon.
Primary carbon is attached with one other carbon, a secondary carbon is the one attached to the two other carbons and a tertiary carbon is the one attached to the three other carbon atoms and a quaternary carbon has four carbons attached to one carbon. For instance, ethane with one simple primary carbon, propane with two carbons attached to one primary carbon. Carbohydrates are classified as three major groups. This classification is based on the hydrolysis of carbohydrates. There are monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides here means only one carboxylic group in the molecule.
Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Note:
Remember that carbon and water are the basic unit of carbohydrates. Hydrate means nothing but water. As we know, these carbohydrates are also known as saccharides. Plant carbohydrates store starch. It is the main source of energy for human beings.