Why salt, sugar and copper behave differently
Grade 10 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.
Table salt melts at 800.7 °C and sugar at 185.5 °C (CRC). How much higher is salt's melting point, Ari?
Copper melts at 1084.62 °C and sugar at 185.5 °C. How much higher is copper's melting point, Esme?
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Dot diagram beside a property table
Salt (ions), sugar (shared pairs) and copper (an electron sea) (CRC Handbook via PubChem). Columns: substance, bonding, melting point (°C), conducts as a solid?, conducts melted or dissolved?. table salt, NaCl, ionic, 800.7, no, yes; table sugar, sucrose, covalent molecules, 185.5, no, no; copper, metallic, 1084.62, yes, yes, when melted.
Using the table, which substance melts at the lowest temperature, Jun?
- Table salt
- Table sugar
- Copper
Using the table, which conducts electricity as a solid, Kira?
- Table salt
- Table sugar
- Copper
Using the table, what kind of bonding does table salt have, Luz?
- Metallic
- Covalent molecules
- Ionic
Why does a copper wire conduct electricity, Milo?
- It dissolves
- Its electrons can move
- It is shiny and smooth
Why doesn't solid table salt conduct electricity, Noah?
- Salt contains no ions of any kind
- Its ions are locked in place
- It is too soft
Why doesn't table sugar conduct electricity, Pia?
- It melts too easily
- Its molecules carry no charge
- Its ions are locked tightly in place
Why can copper be drawn into thin wire, Tala?
- Its ions slide in the electron sea
- Its ions repel each other and crack
- It is made of molecules
Why do ionic crystals crack instead of bending, Zee?
- They have no bonds
- They are too cold
- Shifted layers push like charges together