What is the molecular formula of sucrose, common table sugar?

The molecular formula of sucrose, common table sugar, is C12H22O11. One sucrose molecule contains twelve carbon atoms, twenty-two hydrogen atoms, and eleven oxygen atoms.

Sucrose is a disaccharide formed when glucose and fructose join through a glycosidic bond. The joining reaction removes one molecule of water, which explains why the formula is not simply the sum of glucose's C6H12O6 and fructose's C6H12O6. Sucrose is the familiar crystalline sugar refined from sugarcane or sugar beet and is widely used to sweeten foods and drinks.

A common mix-up is confusing sucrose with glucose. Glucose is a monosaccharide and has the formula C6H12O6, while sucrose is a two-sugar molecule with twice as many carbon atoms. Unlike glucose, sucrose is generally considered a non-reducing sugar because the reactive anomeric carbon atoms of both component sugars are tied up in the bond. Digestion breaks sucrose into glucose and fructose using the enzyme sucrase.