Biggest Mistakes in Chemistry: Dissolving

TL;DR

When sugar dissolves in water, the molecules of sugar remain intact and float around, while ionic compounds like salt break apart into individual ions.

Transcript

so many people make this mistake and now you never will so here's a question what happens to the atoms when sugar dissolves in water here's what a molecule of sugar looks like it's got two carbons four hydrogens and two oxygen atoms and a grain of sugar like the kind you'd actually dissolve in water looks like this it's a clump of a bunch of these ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥹 Sugar dissolves in water without breaking apart, as the covalent bonds holding the atoms together in sugar molecules do not rupture.
• 😑 Ionic compounds, like salt, break apart into ions when dissolved in water due to ionic bonds.
• 🤘 Covalent compounds are made up of non-metals, while ionic compounds consist of metal and non-metal ions.
• 😑 Dissociation occurs in ionic compounds, causing the release of individual ions.
• ❓ A grain of sugar consists of multiple sugar molecules clumped together.
• 🫀 Covalent bonds connect atoms within a covalent compound, while ionic bonds hold together atoms in an ionic compound.
• 💦 Covalent compounds remain as intact molecules when dissolved in water.

Questions & Answers

Q: What happens to the atoms when sugar dissolves in water?

When sugar dissolves in water, the atoms do not break apart. Instead, the molecules of sugar stay intact and float around in the water.

Q: What is the difference between ionic and covalent compounds when dissolving in water?

Ionic compounds, like salt, break apart into individual ions when dissolved in water. On the other hand, covalent compounds, like sugar, remain as molecules and float around in the water.

Q: Why do covalent compounds like sugar not break apart when dissolved in water?

Covalent compounds are held together by covalent bonds, which do not come apart when dissolved in water. Therefore, the atoms in covalent compounds remain connected and form molecules that float in the water.

Q: Do all compounds break apart when dissolved in water?

No, not all compounds break apart when dissolved in water. Only ionic compounds, which are made up of metal and non-metal ions, break apart into individual ions. Covalent compounds, made up of non-metals, remain as intact molecules.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• When sugar dissolves in water, the molecules of sugar stay together and float around in the water.

• In contrast, ionic compounds like salt break apart into individual ions when dissolved in water.

• Covalent bonds hold the atoms together in covalent compounds, while ionic bonds hold the atoms together in ionic compounds.