Question

a student dissolves a spoonful of sugar (a covalent compound) in a cup of water. how many sugar molecules are floating around in the water.
none. they have dissociated.
there are billions of sugar molecules in the water.

Explanation:

Sugar is a covalent compound. When covalent compounds like sugar dissolve in water, they do not dissociate into ions; instead, the sugar molecules remain intact and are dispersed throughout the water. A spoonful of sugar contains a large number of molecules, so when dissolved, there are billions of sugar molecules in the water. The first option is incorrect because covalent compounds (like sugar) do not dissociate in water.

Answer:

There are billions of sugar molecules in the water.