Final answer:
The Benedict's test results for hydrolyzed sucrose differ from sucrose itself because hydrolysis converts sucrose into reducing sugars, glucose and fructose, which react with Benedict's reagent, causing a color change.
Step-by-step explanation:
The results of the Benedict's test on the sucrose hydrolysis solution should have been different than the results on sucrose itself because hydrolysis breaks sucrose down into glucose and fructose. Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of these two monosaccharides and does not reduce Benedict's solution. However, when hydrolyzed, the resulting monosaccharides are reducing sugars, which react with Benedict's reagent causing a change in color that indicates the presence of reducing sugars.
During hydrolysis, the bond between glucose and fructose in sucrose is broken, effectively producing two reducing sugars. This is because the aldehyde group or a free ketone group of the resulting monosaccharides can be oxidized, and they react with the copper(II) ions in the Benedict's solution. The reaction causes the Benedict's solution to change color from blue to green, yellow, orange, red, or brick red depending on the amount of reducing sugar present, with red indicating a higher concentration. In contrast, sucrose, prior to hydrolysis, does not react with Benedict's reagent.
Therefore, post-hydrolysis, the color change observed in the Benedict's test for the sucrose solution signals the presence of reducing sugars, such as glucose and fructose, which were not detectable before the disaccharide was hydrolyzed.