How do you know you have sugar?

Answer 1

The simplest method is to taste it. Real sugar has a flavor that is easy to identify. It tastes noticeably different from artificial sweeteners or other sweet chemicals. If you have some sugar samples to compare with, you might even be able to identify what kind of sugar. Alternately, burn some sugar, burn some of your sample, and compare the smells.

If you're worried it might be a toxic chemical, investigating it's physical properties will allow you to make an educated guess. Measure the solubility in water, then recrystallize and check the crystal geometry. Check the melting point, and check the caloric value if you have a calorimeter. If all these values match, you might have sugar.

Finally, if you have Benedict's Solution (combination of sodium carbonate, copper sulfate and sodium citrate), dissolve some of the unknown substance in distilled water, add the Benedict's solution, and heat to 40-50 degrees C. If it's sugar, the solution will turn green, yellow, or red, depending on concentration.

>>M.T.<<