Carbohydrates are the most abundant biological molecules on earth. This study examines the formation and various structural properties of carbohydrates. In this experiment, a methyl group is attached to ribose under varying conditions of temperature and time. The resulting products—alpha and beta isomers of the five- and six-membered rings—are analyzed via nuclear magnetic resonance. The procedure can be adapted and used in teaching an undergraduate laboratory to observe the rates of formation of the methylated products; determine the relative abundance of different ring forms; and, identify the kinetic and thermodynamic products.