Question

If table sugar (sucrose) and table salt (NaCl) are added to a vinegar and oil salad dressing and shaken, the mixture will eventually separate into two phases of different density and polarity. Where will most of the sweet and salty taste be found following phase separation?

A. Both will concentrate in the vinegar.
B. Both will concentrate in the oil.
C. Sucrose will concentrate in the oil and NaCl will concentrate in the vinegar.
D. NaCl will concentrate in the oil and sucrose will concentrate in the vinegar.

Answer 1

After a vinegar and oil salad dressing with sucrose and NaCl added is shaken and allowed to separate, both sucrose and NaCl will concentrate in the vinegar phase because vinegar is polar and can dissolve both the polar sucrose and the ionic NaCl more effectively than the nonpolar oil.

Step-by-step explanation:

When sucrose (table sugar) and sodium chloride (table salt) are added to a mixture of vinegar and oil and shaken, the substances will distribute differently after phase separation due to their solubility properties in polar and nonpolar liquids.

Sucrose being a non-ionic, polar compound tends to dissolve better in polar solvents like vinegar (acetic acid) which is polar due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds. Sodium chloride, on the other hand, is an ionic compound that dissociates into sodium and chloride ions in a polar solvent, thereby also solubilizing best in the vinegar phase. Oil, being nonpolar, does not dissolve polar or ionic compounds effectively.

Therefore, sucrose and NaCl would not dissolve in the oil but would rather remain in the vinegar after the phase separation.

So, if we look at the options provided in the question, the correct answer is:

A. Both will concentrate in the vinegar.