Final answer:
Sugar is a covalent compound known as a carbohydrate, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms held together by covalent bonds, unlike sodium chloride, which is formed by ionic bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sugar, with the chemical formula C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁, is a compound that consists of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms bonded together. Unlike sodium chloride (NaCl), which is an ionic compound formed from the electrostatic attraction between sodium cations (Na+) and chloride anions (Cl-), sugar is a covalent compound. This means that atoms within sugar share electrons rather than transferring them, as is the case in ionic compounds like table salt. Thus, sugar's correct classification would be as a covalent compound.
The types of chemical bonds and reactions that create covalent compounds like sugar are fundamentally different from those that form ionic compounds like sodium chloride. In covalent compounds, electrons are shared between atoms to fulfill the octet rule and achieve stability. This process is in contrast to the complete transfer of electrons that occurs in the formation of ionic compounds. As sugar is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms linked by covalent bonds, it is also known as a carbohydrate, which can further be categorized based on its molecular size and the types of saccharide units present.