Book 9, Question 5
Why Does Sugar Stop Dissolving If You Keep Adding It?
Sugar stops dissolving because water can only hold so much of it! When the water is full, the extra sugar just sinks to the bottom. Warmer water can hold more, so it dissolves more sugar.
More fun facts
- Sugar keeps dissolving in water until the water reaches its saturation point, the most it can hold.
- After that, extra sugar just settles at the bottom of the glass.
- Dissolved sugar is still there. That is why the water tastes sweet even though you cannot see the sugar.
- Water molecules are attracted to sugar molecules, which helps pull the sugar apart.
- When sugar dissolves, it makes a clear solution.
- You can test this by adding one teaspoon of salt at a time to water and stirring until no more will dissolve.
Sources: BBC, Scientific American, Exploratorium
Questions kids ask
Where does sugar go when it dissolves?
It breaks into pieces too tiny to see and spreads through the water, which is why the water tastes sweet.