Contrast the structure of table salt and table sugar.

To understand the structure of table salt and table sugar, we need to look at their chemical compositions.

1. Table Salt (sodium chloride): The chemical formula for table salt is NaCl. It consists of sodium (Na+) ions and chloride (Cl-) ions. Sodium chloride exists as a crystal lattice structure, where positive sodium ions are surrounded by negatively charged chloride ions and vice versa. The ionic bonds between sodium and chloride ions hold the crystal lattice structure together.

2. Table Sugar (sucrose): The chemical formula for table sugar is C12H22O11. It is a type of disaccharide composed of two monosaccharides – glucose and fructose. The structure of sucrose can be visualized as a combination of glucose and fructose molecules. The hydroxyl groups (-OH) present in glucose and fructose combine through a condensation reaction, forming an oxygen bridge called an acetal linkage between them. This acetal linkage gives sucrose its characteristic structure.

In summary, table salt (sodium chloride) has an ionic crystal lattice structure held together by ionic bonds between sodium and chloride ions, while table sugar (sucrose) has a more complex structure composed of glucose and fructose molecules connected by an acetal linkage.