Sugar Disappears

Big question: Where does sugar go when it disappears in water?

Race sugar in cold water against warm water, see which disappears first, then taste to prove the sugar is still there.

What you need

• 2 clear glasses
• Cold water
• Warm tap water
• About 10 teaspoons sugar
• 2 spoons

What to do

1. Fill two glassesWash your hands first and check every ingredient with your grown-up. Fill one glass halfway with cold water. Your grown-up fills the other halfway with warm tap water, not hot.
2. Drop in the sugarDrop 1 teaspoon of sugar into each glass at the same time. Do not stir yet. Which pile shrinks faster?
3. Now stirStir both glasses with 10 slow circles, counting together. Keep going until one looks clear. Which one won?
4. Taste the proofTake a tiny sip of the clear water. Sweet! The sugar is still there. You just cannot see it.
5. Keep addingKeep adding sugar to the warm glass, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring until each spoonful disappears. Count your spoonfuls until your sugar runs out. Water can hold much more sugar than you might think!

What is happening?

Sugar is made of tiny pieces called molecules, far too small to see. Water is made of molecules too. Water molecules pull the sugar molecules away from the pile and spread them all through the water. That is what dissolving means. Warm water molecules move faster, so warm water dissolves sugar faster. Stirring brings fresh water to the sugar.

Use warm tap water, never hot. A small sip of sugar water is plenty.

Try it

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Check yourself