A molecule with the chemical formula C_6H_{12}O_6 is probably a:

• A. fatty acid
• B. amino acid
• C. monosaccharide
• D. nucleotide

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula given: C_6H_{12}O_6. This formula contains carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms in a specific ratio.
2. Recall that monosaccharides are simple sugars with the general formula (CH_2O)_n, where n is typically 3 to 7. For n=6, the formula becomes C_6H_{12}O_6, which matches the given formula.
3. Understand that fatty acids generally have long hydrocarbon chains with a carboxyl group and do not match the formula C_6H_{12}O_6.
4. Recognize that amino acids contain nitrogen atoms (N) in addition to C, H, and O, so the formula C_6H_{12}O_6 does not correspond to an amino acid.
5. Note that nucleotides contain nitrogenous bases, phosphate groups, and sugars, so their formula is more complex and does not match C_6H_{12}O_6. Therefore, the molecule is most likely a monosaccharide.