Question

Glucose or sucrose are soluble in water but cyclohexane or benzene (simple six membered ring compounds) are insoluble in water. Explain.

Answer 1

A glucose molecule contains five −OH groups while a sucrose molecule contains eight −OH groups. Thus, glucose and sucrose undergo extensive H-bonding with water.

Hence, these are soluble in water.

But cyclohexane and benzene do not contain −OH groups. Hence, they cannot undergo H-bonding with water and as a result, are insoluble in water.