Why does sugar dissolve in water?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Water molecules surround sugar
Water molecules surround sugar ✓ — Correct! Sugar dissolves because 'like dissolves like' - both water and sugar are polar molecules. Water's polar molecules are attracted to sugar's polar regions. Water molecules surround each sugar molecule, pulling them away from the crystal and into solution. This is called hydration. No chemical bonds are broken - sugar can be recovered by evaporating water!
Sugar melts in liquid — Wrong. Dissolving and melting are different processes. Melting requires heat to change from solid to liquid. Sugar dissolves at room temperature through molecular interactions with water, not by melting. Melted sugar is entirely different (it's caramel).
Chemical reaction occurs — Wrong. Dissolving sugar in water is a physical change, not a chemical reaction. The sugar molecules remain as sucrose - they don't change into different substances. You can get the sugar back by evaporating the water, which you couldn't do with a chemical reaction.
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