Why do sugar cubes dissolve in water?

Answer 1

Sugar cubes don't actually "dissolve" in water in the sense that a salt might. Sugar breaks apart into individual non-polar sugar molecules. (relative polarity hinges on the specific species of sugar) Sugar makes a homogeneous mixture in water. Adding salt to the equation makes no real difference in the solubility of sugar in water, sugar still refuses to dissociate into ions so it remains sugar, just fragmented at the molecular level.

Answer 2

Sugar cubes (and salt, and many other materials) dissolve in water because water is a powerful solvent. Properties of water molecules cause them to break down the crystalline structure of a sugar cube.

Polar Molecules

Water molecules are polar, meaning that one part of the molecule has a slightly positive electric charge, and one part has a slightly negative electric charge. Sucrose molecules also have a part that carries a slight negative charge.

Crystalline Bonds

The bonds that hold a sugar cube together in a crystalline structure are fairly weak and rely on the sugar molecules being in contact with each other.

Water Breaks the Crystalline Bonds

The attraction between the negatively charged part of the sugar cube and the positively charged part of the surrounding water molecules pulls the sucrose away from the crystalline structure.

Water Surrounds the Sucrose

The negatively charged part of the sucrose molecule pulls in water molecules from all directions. They form a shell around the sucrose, preventing it from rejoining the crystalline structure. This layer of water molecules is called the hydration shell.

Removing the Water

When the water is removed, through evaporation for example, the sucrose molecules come into contact with each other again and reform their crystalline bonds. They are not changed chemically in any way by the process of absorption.

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Answer 3

Sugar is highly soluble in water. When you crushed a sugar cube in to powder, you have increased the surface area to a very large degree as compared to the cube. The powder when mixed with water, the large surface area of the sugar crystals come in contact with water and get in solution.

Answer 4

First off... the fact that the sugar is in a cube makes no difference. If its were a ball or powdered sugar it would dissolve by the same process..What happens is that both water and sugar are polar compounds, Polar means they have areas on the surface of their modules that are positive and negative due to the arrangement of the atoms in the molecules. Just like magnets have a north and south pole. This keeps the water in liquid form and the dry sugar in crystals

When water surrounds a chunk of sugar (many molecules stuck together) the polar forces on each substance attract each other. The attraction of sugar for water molecules is stronger that the attraction of sugar for other sugar molecules. Essentially like a group of children will split away from a dull group of kids to join a bunch that seems to be having more fun.

It works the other way too. When a sugar solution starts to dry out the sugar molecules lose enough of there water molecule "friends" that they have to associate with other sugar molecules . The sugar molecules polar forces line then bace up into sugar crystals.

Answer 5

---- ====== ====== it doesnt desolve you just cant see it ---- ====== ====== it doesnt desolve you just cant see it

Answer 6

I think that after a while they will just dissolve; but that is just what I have learned already.

Answer 7

salt water

Answer 8

Yes