What is the reactant when sugar is mixed with water? Also, what is the product?
Sugar and water mix (and sugar dissolves) but there is no reaction. You may write one this way to depict what happens.
C12H22O11(s) + H2O ==> C12H22O11(aq)
Thanks Dr. Bob!
When sugar (which is a solid) is mixed with water (which is a liquid), the sugar dissolves in the water. In this process of dissolving, the components involved are referred to as reactants and products.
The reactant in this case is the sugar itself (sucrose, which is a compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms) because it is the substance that is being mixed with water. Specifically, the sugar molecules are interacting with the water molecules.
The products, on the other hand, are the resulting solution, where sugar molecules become dispersed throughout the water, forming a homogeneous mixture. The individual sugar molecules become surrounded by water molecules, breaking the sugar crystals apart. In this state, sugar can no longer be visually distinguished from water, as they form a single phase and appear as a clear, sweet solution.