What’s it like – sugar?

Take one bag of sugar.

Pour a little heap out in front of you and take a closer look; use all your senses. 

Take an even closer look using the microscope. 

What’s it like – sugar?

• solid (even though you can pour it)
• white
• dull
• opaque
• looks like ice cubes
• sweet
• crunchy

What do you think will happen when we heat it?  Will it stay the same or change in some way?  Well there’s only one way to find out!

Dump some into a pan (whoa that was fast Quentin!)

Place the pan on the hob and heat.

Now be very careful; it is going to get H O T !  But keep a watchful eye on it.  What do you notice happening?

What’s it like – sugar?

• yellowish-brown
• lumpy
• stuck together
• solid
• dull
• opaque
• sweet…..

Keep watching; keep stirring…..

What’s it like – sugar?

• darker brown
• shiny
• opaque
• a liquid

Now – pour it out into a slippery greasy pan…..

and allow it to cool.

What do you think will happen?  Will it stay the same, go back to how it was before we heated it or change in some other way?

What’s it like – sugar?

• translucent
• hard
• a solid
• brittle, like glass

What’s it like – sugar?

Oh and I did have one more question.  What do you think will happen if you leave it in the classroom overnight?  Sadly though, we didn’t get to find out.  It was very  sweet you see…..