Milly Jantarakolica

Miss Tara Kenyon

Foodscience 1003
May 19, 2016

Rock Candy Analysis and Conclusion
Sugar molecules are the simplest form of carbohydrates. There are four different
properties of sugar which are sweetness, caramelization, solubility, and crystallization. Each
persons definition of sweetness varies, depending on their taste buds. However, sugar is
range in sweetness. The order goes from the sweetest to the least, it goes by fructose (sugar in
fruits), sucrose (table sugar), glucose, galactose, maltose, and lactose (sugar in dairy).
Caramelization is the browning reaction of sugar. The components of sugar are carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen. Caramelization is the process when water molecules (hydrogen and
oxygen) leave, leaving behind the carbon. The carbon is the reason that makes the color of
carmelization brown. Each type of sugar caramelize in different temperature such that
sucrose, galactose, and glucose caramelize at 170 degree celsius while fructose caramelize at
110 degree celsius. Solubility is sugars that can dissolve in water easily. This is because they
form hydrogen bond with water. Solubility is divided into two categories which are saturated
and supersaturated. Saturated solution is a solution that can not dissolve anymore sugar at a
given temperature while supersaturated is the opposite, it is the solution that can dissolve
more sugar than a normal solution could with the help of the temperature. The most soluble
sugar is fructose followed by sucrose, glucose, galactose, maltose, and lactose.
Crystallization is when a supersaturated solution of sugar is heated and when the water
evaporates, we are left with the sugar crystals. This happens because the extra crystals grow
on top of one another. Each type of sugar develops different sizes of sugar crystals. Sucrose
develops the largest crystal while glucose and fructose develop small size sugar crystals.
The properties of sugar being observed in this rock candy lab is sweetness, solubility,
and crystallization. We observe the sweetness of the sugar sucrose which is the type of sugar
used in this rock candy by tasting the rock candy. However, sweetness was a small
observation. We focused on solubility and crystallization more. By adding a lot of sugar into
water, the water wouldnt dissolve the sugar which that is when we observed saturated
solution. However, when we heated the water the sugars dissolved more than it actually
could, by this we observed supersaturated solution. Furthermore, when we place the bamboo
skewer that contains dried sugar on our solution and waited for a week. Crystals began to
form and we observed crystallization where the crystal formed the rock candy in this lab.
There are three members in my group Prim, Pizza, and I. Prims rock candy was
colored gray and she chose the flavor cream soda. While Pizza and I chose pink as our rock
candy color. Despite the color, Pizza chose strawberry as her flavor while I decided to mix
butter and strawberry as my flavor. The size of Pizza and my rock candy was actually similar,
but Pizzas was slightly a bit taller. On the other hand, Prims rock candy was the smallest.
The rock candy of all three of us had the same texture though. It was hard, sharp, and rough.
When we tasted the candy, all of it was sticky, crunchy, and chewy. Besides that, Prims rock
candy had the most taste of cream soda, while we can barely taste the flavor of butter in
mine, and Pizzas rock candy had a light amount of strawberry flavor on it.
It was quite hard to choose who had the best rock candy of all three, but wed give it
to Pizzas. Her rock candy formed the best without sticking to the cup while mine and Prims
stuck a lot to the cup. Also, the fact that Pizzas rock candy was slightly taller than mine
made it at a perfect height. Comparing to Prim rock candy which is gray and mine which is a
very light pink, Pizzas rock candy had the best pink color. Although Prims rock candy had
the most flavor of cream soda, it was a bit too sweet and my butter and strawberry flavor did
not go along, the taste of the strawberry on Pizzas rock candy wasnt that sweet and it made
her candy taste kind of good. The reason of her success was probably because she stuck the

sugar well on her bamboo skewer. It was probably also because she left a good distance
between the bamboo skewer and the cup when she had place the clips on the bamboo skewer.
Besides that, the food color and the strawberry artificial flavor was added to her cup in a
pleasant amount.
There were some errors made in this lab. One of them is when Prim forgot to leave
some time for the sugar to dry and stick to her bamboo skewer. The crystal barely sticks to
her bamboo skewer instead the sugars stuck everywhere on her cup. Also, I misunderstood
and added strawberry flavor to the solution while we were still boiling it which was wrong
because we should add the flavor after we pour the solution on to the cup. That might have
cause some changes to the flavor. To make this lab better, we might have to be more careful
and do the process step by step. Also, we might have to take notes and see which amount of
sugar, food coloring, or artificial flavor makes the rock candy taste best or looks best.