Carbohydrates do not have a universal chemical symbol like elements do. However, they are commonly represented by the general formula CnH2nOn, where n is a whole number. This formula indicates that carbohydrates are composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms.
In the context of organic chemistry, carbohydrates can be further classified into monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides, each consisting of different arrangements and numbers of sugar units. For example, glucose, a simple sugar, can be represented as C6H12O6.
So, while there isn’t a single symbol representing all carbohydrates, the chemical formulas for specific carbohydrates indicate their composition and structure.