Sucrose is a molecular polar compound. It is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, and its chemical formula is C12H22O11. The presence of multiple hydroxyl (–OH) groups in its structure contributes to its polarity. In a polar molecule, there is an uneven distribution of electron density, leading to a dipole moment, which is evident in sucrose due to the electronegativity differences between oxygen and hydrogen, as well as carbon.
The intermolecular forces present in sucrose include hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions. Hydrogen bonding occurs between the hydrogen of the hydroxyl groups and the oxygen of adjacent sucrose molecules. This strong attraction helps explain sucrose’s relatively high melting and boiling points compared to nonpolar compounds. Dipole-dipole interactions also play a role, as the polar nature of the sucrose molecule leads to attractions between the positive and negative ends of neighboring molecules.