The respiratory quotient of carbohydrate is

Options

A. Unity
B. Greater than unity
C. Less than unity
D. Equal to five

Answer

To determine the respiratory quotient (RQ) of carbohydrates, follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Definition of Respiratory Quotient (RQ)**:
- The respiratory quotient is defined as the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced to the volume of oxygen (O2) consumed during respiration.

2. **Write the Chemical Equation for Carbohydrate Oxidation**:
- The general formula for glucose (a carbohydrate) is C6H12O6. When glucose undergoes respiration, it is oxidized to produce carbon dioxide and water.
- The balanced equation for the respiration of glucose is:
\[ C6H12O6 + 6 O2 \rightarrow 6 CO2 + 6 H2O \]

3. **Identify the Volume of CO2 Produced and O2 Consumed**:
- From the balanced equation, we can see that for every molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) that is oxidized:
- 6 molecules of CO2 are produced.
- 6 molecules of O2 are consumed.

4. **Calculate the Respiratory Quotient (RQ)**:
- Using the definition of RQ:
\[ RQ = \frac{\text{Volume of CO2 produced}}{\text{Volume of O2 consumed}} = \frac{6 \, \text{CO2}}{6 \, \text{O2}} = 1 \]

5. **Conclusion**:
- The respiratory quotient for carbohydrates is approximately 1, indicating that the amount of CO2 produced is equal to the amount of O2 consumed.

### Final Answer:
The respiratory quotient of carbohydrates is approximately 1.

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